Mbappé channelling his inner CR7 with record-breaking Champions League form
Kylian Mbappé matches Cristiano Ronaldo's Champions League group stage scoring record as comparisons between the two Real Madrid stars continue to grow.
Real Madrid’s newest Galáctico is tearing up the record books with numbers that have the Bernabéu faithful reminiscing about their Portuguese goal machine.
Cristiano-esque numbers
It’s becoming impossible not to draw comparisons between Mbappé and Cristiano Ronaldo. With his brace against Monaco, the Frenchman has equalled CR7’s record of 11 goals in a Champions League league phase from the 2015-16 season.
There’s a slight asterisk, mind you - Ronaldo bagged his 11 in just six matches (when the group stage was shorter), while Mbappé has played seven fixtures, though he only featured in six after being benched against Manchester City due to that knee sprain that now appears firmly behind him.
The numbers are proper mental:
- Top scorer in La Liga (19 goals)
- Top scorer in Champions League (11 goals)
- 32 goals in 27 matches across all competitions
- Averaging 1.18 goals per game
That’s a scoring rate that screams “Cristiano” - not half bad for a bloke some critics still bizarrely blame for Madrid’s supposed dip in form over the past 18 months!
Elite company
Only Mbappé and Cristiano have ever scored more than 10 goals in the Champions League league phase. Messi, Lewandowski and Haller reached double figures but couldn’t push beyond that barrier. Even current goal machines like Haaland (whose best is 8 with Salzburg) and Kane (whose top tally is 6) haven’t come close to these heights.
For Mbappé personally, these 11 European goals already represent his best Champions League campaign. At PSG, he never surpassed eight in a season, and his seven goals across all of last season for Madrid have already been smashed in just half a campaign.
The King’s throne
Of course, Cristiano remains the undisputed Champions League goal king. His 17 goals in the 2013-14 season (the year of La Décima in Lisbon) stand as the all-time record for a single campaign, with his 16-goal haul in 2015-16 coming second.
Mbappé has one more league phase match (against Benfica at Da Luz on the 28th) to potentially break Ronaldo’s group stage record outright. After that, Madrid’s progression in the competition will determine whether he can take aim at Cristiano’s overall season record.
Though the way he’s playing, you’d be a right mug to bet against him, wouldn’t you?