Mbappé hunting down Benzema's Champions League legacy
With 13 goals in 7 matches, Kylian Mbappé is on track to break both Cristiano Ronaldo's single-season record and Benzema's French goalscoring heroics.
The Frenchman is tearing up the Champions League record books with a staggering 13 goals in just seven appearances this campaign.
Record-breaking pace
Mbappé’s current scoring rate is simply ridiculous. The lad’s averaging a mind-boggling 1.85 goals per match in Europe’s premier competition this season - numbers that make even the greatest look ordinary. For comparison:
- Karim Benzema managed 1.25 goals per game in his best UCL season
- Cristiano Ronaldo hit 1.54 during his record-setting campaign
- No player has ever finished as top scorer with Mbappé’s current efficiency
The new Madrid ace is just four goals away from matching Ronaldo’s all-time record of 17 goals in a single Champions League campaign (set during La Décima season). But there’s another target in his sights that might mean even more to him personally.
Chasing Benzema’s French legacy
Benzema’s 2021-22 Champions League campaign was the stuff of legend. The former Real striker notched 15 goals that season with particularly devastating performances in the knockout rounds:
- Five goals in the group stage
- Hat-tricks against both PSG and Chelsea
- Another goal in the return leg against Chelsea
- Three more in the semi-finals against Manchester City
That campaign cemented Benzema’s status as a French footballing icon, and now Mbappé has the chance to write his own chapter in that same storied book.
Path to glory
How far Mbappé can push these records depends partly on his own finishing, but also on how deep Madrid go in the competition. After missing out on the top 8, Los Blancos face a playoff round, giving Kylian at least two more guaranteed matches to add to his tally.
The new Champions League format also works in his favour. The old system featured 13 potential games, while the current one offers 15 (or 17 for Madrid if they reach the final via the playoff route).
Madrid will learn today whether they’ll face Benfica again or Norway’s Bodø/Glimt in their next European test. Either way, you’d be barmy to bet against Mbappé adding to his impressive haul.