The brand new-look Champions League for 2024/25 has reached its semi-final stage.
Within the final 4 of the continental competitors, Arsenal will face Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona tackle Inter for a spot within the last in Munich.
Over time, it has typically been the groups with probably the most scientific forwards which have superior to the ultimate.
Right here, a take a look at the gamers with probably the most targets in European Cup and Champions League semi-finals…
Zinédine Zidane (4 targets – Juventus, Actual Madrid)
Zinedine Zidane on the ball for Actual Madrid towards former membership Juventus within the Champions League semi-finals in Might 2003. (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Zinédine Zidane helped Juventus to the Champions League last in 1997 and once more in 1998, however completed as a runner-up each occasions.
The previous France ahead scored in 4-1 wins over Ajax and Monaco, respectively, en path to these finals. With Actual Madrid, he netted in a 2-0 victory at Camp Nou towards Barcelona within the groups’ semi-final first leg in Might 2002 and went on to attain the winner towards Bayer Leverkusen within the last. The next season, he was on the right track late on in a 3-1 defeat to former membership Juventus in Turin, however couldn’t forestall a 4-3 mixture loss.
Andriy Schevchenko (4 targets – Dynamo Kyiv, AC Milan)
Andriy Shevchenko celebrates after scoring for AC Milan towards PSV within the Champions League semi-finals in April 2005. (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
A two-time Champions League finalist with AC Milan, Andriy Schevchenko scored the one aim of the tie because the Rossoneri beat metropolis rivals Inter on away targets en path to the title within the semi-finals in 2002/03 and was on the right track in a 2-0 win over PSV Eindhoven in 2005.
Shevchenko had beforehand scored twice for Dynamo Kyiv in a 3-3 draw towards Bayern Munich within the semi-finals in 1998/99. The Ukrainian aspect misplaced the second leg 1-0 in Germany to go down 4-3 on mixture.
Riyad Mahrez (4 targets – Manchester Metropolis)
Riyad Mahrez celebrates after scoring for Manchester Metropolis towards Actual Madrid on the Santiago Bernabeu within the Champions League semi-finals in Might 2022. (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Riyad Mahrez scored 3 times throughout two legs as Manchester Metropolis beat Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 on mixture within the Champions League semi-finals in 2020/21, with Pep Guardiola’s aspect occurring to lose the ultimate to Chelsea.
The next season, the Algerian attacker put Metropolis 5-3 forward on mixture with a aim towards Actual Madrid on the Santiago Bernabéu within the final 4, ony for 2 late Rodrygo strikes and a Karim Benzema effort in further time to win it for Los Blancos. An unused substitute within the 2023 Champions League last as Metropolis beat Inter to finish the treble, Mahrez got here off the bench because the Sky Blues beat Actual Madrid 4-0 on the Etihad within the final 4.
Thomas Müller (4 targets – Bayern Munich)
Thomas Muller celebrates after scoring for Bayern Munich towards Barcelona within the Champions League semi-finals in April 2013. (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Thomas Müller scored 3 times throughout the 2 legs as Bayern Munich battered Barcelona 7-0 on mixture within the Champions League semi-finals in April and Might 2013.
A winner that yr and once more in 2020, Müller was additionally a finalist in 2012. His different Champions League semi-final aim got here in a 3-2 win over Barcelona in Might 2015, with Bayern crushed 5-3 on mixture.
Arjen Robben (4 targets – Bayern Munich)
Arjen Robben celebrates after scoring for Bayern Munich towards Barcelona within the Champions League semi-finals in April 2013. (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
A Champions League and treble winner with Bayern Munich in 2012/13, Arjen Robben scored for the Bavarians’ of their 4-0 first-leg win over Barcelona within the semi-finals and netted the opener in a 3-0 victory within the second match at Camp Nou.
Robben additionally scored Bayern’s aim from the penalty spot in a 2-1 loss towards Actual Madrid within the semi-finals the earlier season because the Bundesliga giants went on to win in a shootout. In complete, the Dutch winger scored 4 occasions in Champions League semi-finals for Bayern.
Sadio Mané (4 targets – Liverpool)
Sadio Mane celebrates after scoring for Liverpool towards Villarreal within the Champions League semi-finals in Might 2022. (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Sadio Mané scored in every leg as Liverpool beat Roma 7-6 on mixture within the Champions League semi-finals in 2018 and was additionally on the right track in each video games because the Reds sealed a 5-2 victory over Villarreal within the final 4 in 2022.
Jürgen Klopp’s aspect went on to lose the ultimate to Actual Madrid each occasions, however Mané was a part of the Liverpool aspect which defeated Tottenham 2-0 to win the trophy in 2019.
Vinícius Júnior (4 targets – Actual Madrid)
Vinicius Junior celebrates after scoring his second aim for Actual Madrid towards Bayern Munich within the groups’ Champions League semi-final first leg in April 2024. (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Vinícius Júnior scored the one aim of the sport as Actual Madrid beat Liverpool within the 2022 Champions League last on the Stade de France and the Brazilian was additionally on the right track within the semi-final towards Manchester Metropolis, netting in a 4-3 first-leg defeat on the Etihad.
Towards Metropolis the next season, Vinícius opened the scoring in a 1-1 draw on the Santiago Bernabéu, however Madrid misplaced the second leg 4-0 in Manchester. En route to a different title in 2024, the Brazilian netted each in a 2-2 first-leg draw away to Bayern Munich within the semi-finals.
Jari Litmanen (5 targets – Ajax)
Jari Litmanen celebrates after scoring for Ajax towards Panathinaikos within the Champions League semi-finals in April 1996. (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Ajax reached the Champions League semi-finals 3 times in a row within the mid-Nineties and Jari Litmanen scored 5 occasions in these matches.
The previous Finland ahead scored twice in a 5-2 win over Bayern Munich en path to the trophy in April 1995, netted two extra in a 3-0 victory away to Panathinaikos because the Amsterdam membership made the ultimate the next season and added one other in a 2-1 loss to Juventus the next yr.
Eusébio (5 targets – Benfica)
Eusebio poses for a photograph at Benfica in 1970. (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Eusébio scored 46 targets in 75 European Cup appearances for Benfica and helped the Lisbon giants to the title in 1962.
A finalist once more in 1963, 1965 and 1968, the legendary Portugal ahead was on the right track 5 occasions in semi-final matches in a vastly profitable 14-year profession with the Eagles.
Alessandro Del Piero (5 targets – Juventus)
Alessandro Del Piero celebrates after scoring for Juventus towards Actual Madrid within the Champions League semi-finals in Might 2003. (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Alessandro Del Piero performed in 4 Champions League finals, successful the competitors in 1996 earlier than ending as a runner-up in 1997, 1998 and 2003.
Del Piero netted 42 targets for Juventus in 89 Champions League appearances total, together with 5 in semi-final matches for the Bianconeri.
Lionel Messi (6 targets – Barcelona)
Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring for Barcelona towards Bayern Munich within the Champions League semi-finals in Might 2015. (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Lionel Messi is the Champions League’s second-highest scorer of all time, behind Cristiano Ronaldo, and a four-time winner of the competitors with Barcelona.
The Argentine ahead netted 129 targets within the Champions League total, with six of these strikes coming in semi-final matches – together with each in a 2-0 win away to Actual Madrid in April 2011.
Robert Lewandowski (7 targets – Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich)
Robert Lewandowski celebrates after scoring for Borussia Dortmund towards Actual Madrid within the groups’ Champions League semi-final first leg in April 2013. (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski is the one different participant to have scored over 100 targets within the Champions League.
Lewandowski scored all 4 for Borussia Dortmund in a 4-1 win over Actual Madrid within the groups’ semi-final first leg in April 2013 and went on so as to add three extra in last-four matches throughout his time at Bayern Munich. The Pole was a winner with the Bavarians in 2020.
Ferenc Puskás (7 targets – Actual Madrid)
Ferenc Puskas with Actual Madrid in December 1959. (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Ferenc Puskás scored 36 targets within the European Cup and the legendary Hungarian ahead is the one participant to hit hat-tricks in two finals.
A 3-time winner with Actual Madrid, Puskás netted seven targets for Los Blancos in European Cup semi-finals in a vastly profitable eight-season spell in Spain within the Fifties and Sixties.
Karim Benzema (8 targets – Actual Madrid)
Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring for Actual Madrid towards Manchester Metropolis within the groups’ Champions League semi-final second leg in Might 2022. (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Karim Benzema received the Champions League 5 occasions as a Actual Madrid participant and is the competitors’s fourth-highest scorer with 90 targets.
The French ahead netted 78 occasions for Los Blancos within the Champions League, together with eight within the semi-finals. Earlier than shifting to Madrid, he scored 12 targets within the competitors for Lyon.
Alfredo Di Stéfano (11 targets – Actual Madrid)
Alfredo Di Stefano poses with the 5 European Cups he received at Actual Madrid. (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Alfredo Di Stéfano signed for Actual Madrid in 1953 and the Argentina-born ahead led Los Blancos to 5 consecutive European Cups from 1956 and 1960.
Di Stéfano scored 49 targets within the European Cup in simply 58 appearances. Within the semi-finals, he netted 11 occasions for Los Blancos.
Cristiano Ronaldo (13 targets – Manchester United, Actual Madrid)
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring a hat-trick for Actual Madrid towards Atletico Madrid within the groups’ Champions League semi-final first leg in Might 2017. (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Cristiano Ronaldo is the Champions League’s all-time high scorer with 140 targets and the Portuguese additionally leads the best way for semi-final strikes.
A five-time Champions League winner, Ronaldo scored 13 semi-final targets in complete, with 10 of these coming with Actual Madrid and three at Manchester United.
