Jose Mourinho's Benfica shocked Real Madrid with a 4-2 win over them in the Champions League, but Kylian Mbappe still managed to break a Champions League record previously held by Cristiano Ronaldo despite being on the losing side. Mbappe has been sensational in the Champions League this season, with his brace in the Benfica game taking his total UCL goals to 13 this season in just 6 appearances. That's an impressive average of slightly more than 2 goals per game. The former PSG star has been sensational in La Liga as well, standing tall as the league top scorer with 21 goals in just 20 games.
Kylian Mbappe breaks Cristiano Ronaldo record to make more Champions League history
Kylian Mbappe made history on Wednesday by breaking a decade-old Cristiano Ronaldo record during Real Madrid’s crucial UEFA Champions League clash against Benfica at the Estádio da Luz. He has etched his name into Champions League history with 13 goals in the opening phase of the competition. This stage, previously known as the group stage, was rebranded as the league stage following the new format introduced last season.
Only five players have ever reached double figures at this stage of the tournament, and Mbappe now stands alone at the top, surpassing the previous record of 11 goals set by Cristiano Ronaldo. A landmark achievement that underlines Mbappe's growing legacy on Europe’s biggest stage.
It’s also important to note the change in format. Earlier, the Champions League group stage consisted of six matches, but under the new league-stage system, teams now play eight games.Despite the extra fixtures, Kylian Mbappe reached his record tally in just seven appearances for Real Madrid. He missed one match,the defeat against Manchester City due to injury, making his achievement even more impressive.
As for Real Madrid, the 4–2 defeat to Benfica, managed by José Mourinho, saw them miss out on automatic qualification for the Champions League Round of 16. Finishing 9th in the standings, Los Blancos are now forced into the playoffs, where they will face either Benfica again or Bodø/Glimt.
