Even since making his UEFA Champions League debut in 2019 – netting a first-half hat-trick for Salzburg in a 6-2 win against Genk – Erling Haaland has gone on to make Europe’s elite club competition his own.
With 40 goals in just 35 appearances, Haaland has equalled and broke various UEFA Champions League records at just 23-years old. The Manchester City star will be absent for the Cityzens dead rubber against Red Star Belgrade on match day 6 through injury, but there is another interesting stat he currently boasts.
No player has attempted more shots from inside the box in the 2023/23 UEFA Champions League this season than Haaland (26), which is actually four more shots than the entire Celtic team this campaign (22). Brendan Rodgers’ side have endured a miserable time in Europe and will finish rock-bottom of Group E.
Celtic 2023/24 Champions League Stats
It’s not just the Haaland stat that has gone against Celtic in the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League this season, they are also the lowest scorers in the competition (alongside Milan and Antwerp) and have only mustered up 33 goal attempts which again, is the lowest recorded this year.
The Bhoys have shipped 14 goals across their five games so far, with only Antwerp and Manchester United conceding more (15). Their solitary point came in the home fixture against Atletico Madrid on match day 3, with Diego Simeone’s side going down to 10-men late on.
Staying with Celtic’s home form, the Scottish Premiership side are winless in their last 12 UEFA Champions League appearances at Celtic Park. If they fail to beat Feyenoord in their dead rubber on match day 6, they’ll equal the record currently held by FCSB and Lille.
🙌 Celtic want to end their Champions League campaign on a high#celticfc | #ucl pic.twitter.com/rB4V7nJuLz
— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) December 12, 2023
Haaland 2023/24 Champions League Stats
Erling Haaland has six goal contributions in his five 2023/24 UEFA Champions League appearances this season. His five goals have come in the last three matches and he assisted Julian Alvarez’s equaliser on match day 1 against Red Star Belgrade.
On match day 5, Haaland became the youngest player to score 40 UEFA Champions League goals (23 years, 130 days old) and also the quickest to reach the 40-goal milestone, achieving his feat in just 35 appearances. If, and it’s a very possible ‘if’, Haaland hits 50 goals in the competition this year, he’ll have tonked Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of the quickest to a half-century of goals (62 games).
Haaland will also have a Lionel Messi record in site. As it stands, the Argentine superstar is the youngest player to hit 50 UEFA Champions League goals. Messi achieved his feat at the age of 24 years, 284 days old. Haaland – who doesn’t turn 24 until July 2024 – is more than capable of reaching the landmark by the end of this season.
Note: Don’t forget, the best UK betting sites have all the latest 2023/24 UEFA Champions League markets and odds ahead of match day 6.
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