Manchester City are on the brink of a record-equalling group stage performance after they came from behind to beat RB Leipzig 3-2 in the UEFA Champions League.
Pep Guardiola’s side now have five straight wins in Group G, and travel to Red Star Belgrade in round six. Victory in the Serbian capital will see them become only the sixth side in the tournament’s history to win all six group matches.
They started their campaign by defeating Belgrade 3-1 at home, before seeing off RB Leipzig and BSC Young Boys by the same scoreline on the road. A 3-0 victory over Young Boys at the Etihad Stadium was followed by last night’s dramatic win against Leipzig to maintain their perfect record so far.
Which sides have won every group game before?
Since the Champions League was established in its modern format in 1992, just five teams have won all six group games. Russian side Spartak Moscow managed it in 1995/96, as did Barcelona in 2002/03. Two clubs have done so on multiple occasions; Real Madrid in 2011/12 and 2014/15 and Bayern Munich in 2019/20 and 2022/23.
The only Premier League team to achieve such a feat so far were Liverpool in 2021/22. Jurgen Klopp’s Reds put up a flawless performance to take maximum points from the group alongside Atletico Madrid, FC Porto and AC Milan.
They went on to lose the final to Real Madrid as Los Blancos won 1-0 to lift the trophy. But with a goal difference of +11, Liverpool’s performance in that year’s group stage ranks as the fifth-best in Champions League history.
City are currently sat on a goal difference of +10, meaning a two-goal win in Belgrade would put them above Liverpool in the all-time rankings. With Red Star sitting bottom of Group G with just one point from five games, City stand a good chance.
Having already beaten their opponents 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium, a win looks the most likely outcome. City have scored three goals in each of their five group games so far, so expecting more of the same looks a safe bet.
Who has the best ever Champions League record?
While it looks like the reigning European Champions may set the record for best group-stage performance by an English side, the overall record is less probable. It would take a 9-0 win just to match the record set by Bayern Munich in 2019/20.
The Bundesliga juggernaut demolished everyone in their path on the way to winning the Champions League that season. With 24 goals scored and only five conceded, they finished the group stage with a +19 goal difference and the best record in tournament history.
Bayern then crushed Chelsea 7-1 on aggregate in the round of 16, before seeing off Barcelona 8-2. They then beat Lyon 3-0 in the semis to set up a final against PSG in Lisbon, which they won 1-0.
Regardless of the result in their final group game, Guardiola’s City side have already topped their group and qualified for the knockout stages in style. But having made history last season with their record-equalling treble, the chance for Manchester City to equal a Champions League record awaits.
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