The 2021/22 Champions League season came to a conclusion on Saturday night with Real Madrid beating Liverpool 1-0 to lift the trophy, a record 14th time.
Vinicius Jr scored on the hour mark to give Carlo Ancelotti yet another win, his fourth as a manager.
The season had memorable moments, from Sebastien Haller’s goal-scoring record to Pep Guardiola’s run in the semi-finals.
Here are the stats and facts from the just-concluded season;
- 14 – Real Madrid have won the title for the 14th time, their victory against Liverpool meaning they have won all eight of their finals in the UEFA Champions League era.
- 4 – On Matchday 1, Sébastien Haller became the first player to score four goals on his UEFA Champions League debut since Marco van Basten in November 1992 as Ajax won 5-1 at Sporting CP.
- 183 – Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed Iker Casillas (177) for most Champions League appearances on Matchday 2, subsequently moving on to 183.
- 34 – Sheriff’s ground-breaking campaign – including a famous win at the Bernabéu – took the number of nations who have graced the group stage to 34.
- 6 – Carlo Ancelotti has now won the competition six times; twice as a player with AC Milan, then twice as coach of both Milan and Real Madrid.
- 21 – For the first time in 21 years, since 2000/01, Barcelona did not feature in the knockout stages.
- 3 – Ajax, Bayern, and Liverpool all advanced from the group stage with a 100% record, the first time more than one club has managed a perfect group stage in a single season.
- 5 – Manchester City’s 5-0 win at Sporting CP in the last 16 equalled the biggest margin of victory in a Champions League first leg.
- 3 – There have been six hat-tricks in 2021/22, courtesy of Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku, Haller, and two apiece for Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski.
- 11 – Lewandowski struck three times in the space of 11 minutes during Bayern’s 7-1 home win against Salzburg in the last 16, the third-fastest Champions League hat-trick of all time.
- 22 – Bayern’s 1-0 loss at Villarreal in the quarter-finals halted the German side’s record 22-match unbeaten run away from home in the Champions League. The previous high was 16.
- 100 – Lewandowski, Luka Modrić, Fernandinho, Marcelo, and David Alaba all reached 100 Champions League appearances in 2021/22, taking the tally of centurions to 45.
- 9 – Pep Guardiola reached the semi-finals for the ninth time as a coach, the most in the competition’s history.
- 12 – Liverpool equalled Manchester United’s English record of 12 European Cup semi-finals – they have won ten to United’s five.
- 10 – Benzema scored ten goals in the knockout stages, equalling Cristiano Ronaldo’s record set in 2016/17.
- 15 – Only Cristiano Ronaldo (17 in 2013/14; 16 in 2015/16) has ever scored more than Benzema (15) in a single Champions League campaign.
- 60.1 – Liverpool and Bayern were this season’s pass masters, each averaging a shade over 60% possession; Real Madrid ranked 13th of the 32 sides with 50.4%.
- 2 Liverpool have climbed seven places from ninth to second in the UEFA rankings this season, while Real Madrid have actually dropped three spots to fifth despite winning the competition. Bayern remain No1.