Image (c) Alamy
The Champions League resumes Tuesday with Europe's best clubs fighting out for the ultimate prize in continental football. Here we look back on our favourite records set so far during the 2013/14 edition of Europe's premier club tournament.
CRISTIANO RONALDO (Real Madrid) – Most goals in a calendar year
2013 was a good year for the Portuguese player, as he beat Lionel Messi´s record of 13 goals in a calendar year, Champions League only. The Merengue forward notched up 15 goals during the year - six at the end of the 2012/13 season and 9 in this season's group stages.
REAL MADRID – Most consecutive games scoring at least one goal
Ronaldo overtook Messi and now his side have got one over on “La Pulga's” team with this record of scoring at least one goal in 31 consecutive games. That surpasses the 29 games with a goal that Barcelona managed from 2009 to 2012. In fact, this is not only a Champions League record, but a record across all UEFA competitions!
XAVI (Barcelona) – Most games won by an individual player
This year, the Blaugrana midfielder overcame his old adversary Raúl as the player with the most victories in the competition. Since his debut in 1998, Xavi has now won 81 games. The ex-Real Madrid and Schalke striker Raúl has 79 to his name. Here's a little taste of some of Xavi's career best.
MARK SCHWARZER (Chelsea) – Oldest debutant
In their final group game, Chelsea manager José Mourinho made some changes and Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer made his first start in the competition, aged 41 years and 66 days. He is the oldest debutant and the second oldest player in the history of the Champions League. Only Marco Ballota was older: the Italian goalkeeper represented Lazio against Real Madrid in 2007 at the grand old age of 43 years and 252 days.
Nearly boys…
In addition to the above, the Champions League season also gave us two more close-but-no-cigar records.
Olof Mellberg was the second-oldest player to score his first Champions League goal when he hit the back of the net against Juventus in November, aged 36 years and 85 days. But it is the ex-Arsenal fullback, Lee Dixon, who keeps his record, having first scored against Sparta Prague in 2000, aged 36 years and 266 days.
And Lionel Messi - yes, him again - is very close to the record of the most career goals in the Champions League. The Argentine has 65 strikes, just 6 short of Raúl´s record mark. Messi already owns the record for most Champions League goals for one club (all 65 coming for Barcelona), and it's probable he'll reach that overall target during 2014.
