Lionel Messi notched his first goal since moving to Paris Saint-Germain, finishing off a slick interchange with Kylian Mbappe by picking out the top corner during Tuesday’s Champions League clash against former boss Pep Guardiola and Manchester City.
The picturesque strike sealed a 2-0 win for PSG in their Group A tilt.
(Available to view in U.S. only)
LEO MESSI SCORES HIS FIRST GOAL FOR PSG ? pic.twitter.com/loIXhBzESC
— CBS Sports Golazo ?? (@CBSSportsGolazo) September 28, 2021
The midfielder scored a thunderous goal that he’ll never forget on Tuesday, arrowing a half-volley into the top corner in the 90th minute to give Sheriff Tiraspol an unlikely – and historic – 2-1 victory over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Moldovan champions, from the separatist state of Transnistria, were founded in 1997. Now, they have a victory over the 13-time European kingpins on their resume.
(Available to view in U.S. only)
SHERIFFFFFFFF! WHAT A GOAL TO UPSET REAL! ? pic.twitter.com/pxQVlbfVCl
— CBS Sports Golazo ?? (@CBSSportsGolazo) September 28, 2021
(Available to view in Canada only)
REAL MADRID ARE DOWN BY A GOAL YET AGAIN VS. FC SHERIFF ?? pic.twitter.com/SCHoXjYsF6
Cristiano Ronaldo has set a new record for appearances in the Champions League after starting in Manchester United’s Group F visit from Villarreal.
The Portuguese veteran has now featured 178 times in Europe’s premier competition, overtaking the previous record set by former Real Madrid and FC Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
Ronaldo had 101 Champions League outings for Real Madrid and made a further 23 appearances with Juventus.
Top Champions League appearance holders:
Rank
Player
Total UCL appearances
1
Cristiano Ronaldo
178
2
Iker Casillas
177
3
Lionel Messi
151
4
Xavi
151
5
Raul
142
6
Ryan Giggs
141
7
Karim Benzema
132
8
Andres Iniesta
130
9
Sergio Ramos
129
10
Thomas Muller
126
Ronaldo debuted in the Champions League when he was 18, but it was a surprisingly disappointing evening for the attacker as Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United lost 2-1 at VfB Stuttgart in January 2003.
The 36-year-old didn’t score in the Champions League until April 2007, when he netted twice in a 7-1 rout of Roma. Ronaldo’s since gone on to tally a record 135 Champions League goals.
The midweek clash with Villarreal also marks Ronaldo’s 900th appearance in club football. His scoring record stands at 678 goals in 899 matches before kickoff.
Benfica dealt Barcelona a second consecutive 3-0 defeat in the Champions League on Wednesday, leaving the beleaguered Blaugrana in last in Group E and manager Ronald Koeman in a desperate battle to keep his job.
The result confirmed Barcelona’s worst start to a European campaign since the 1972-73 season, when the Catalan giants suffered back-to-back losses to FC Porto in the first round of the UEFA Cup.
Barcelona are also winless in their last five Champions League matches dating back to last season, having been outscored 14-2 over that spell.
Team
W
D
L
GF
GA
Pts
Bayern Munich
2
0
0
8
0
6
Benfica
1
1
0
3
0
4
Dynamo Kiev
0
1
1
0
5
1
Barcelona
0
0
2
0
6
0
Darwin Nunez scored twice at the Estadio da Luz, including an early stunner in the third minute and a second-half penalty. Rafa Silva, who drew a standing ovation, added another to seal a comprehensive victory.
Barcelona ended the night with 10 men after defender Eric Garcia was sent off for a second bookable offense in the 87th minute.
“We’re in a critical situation,” midfielder Sergio Busquets told Movistar+ after the match.
Koeman’s future at the club was already hanging in the balance prior to kickoff on Wednesday. The Dutchman was banned for two matches after arguing with officials in last week’s goalless draw against Cadiz, and Barcelona seemed to play better without him on the touchline, scoring an easy 3-0 win over Levante on Sunday.
But they offered little competition against Benfica, who extended their unbeaten run to 13 matches.
