10 interesting stats from Matchday 5 | UEFA Champions League 2021-22
It was another exciting goal-rich matchday in the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League.
With only one game to go in this season's group stage, more teams joined the already qualified quartet of Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Ajax and Juventus. The group winners have been decided in five of the eight groups.
The group of death (Group B) has lived up to its billing. That's because three teams - Porto (5 points), AC Milan and Atletico Madrid (both 4 points) - are in contention to reach the Round of 16 behind winners Liverpool.
However, matters are even more complicated in Group G, where all four teams (Lille, Salzburg, Sevilla and Wolfsburg) can still qualify for the knockouts.
Elsewhere, former winners Borussia Dortmund have been knocked out of contention, slumping to their third straight defeat after winning their first two. Meanwhile, Barcelona are on the cusp of missing out of the knockouts after a goalless draw at home to Benfica.
⏰ RESULTS ⏰
Inter, Manchester City, Paris, Real Madrid & Sporting CP secure last-16 spots 👏
🤔 Who impressed you most?
#UCL
It goes without saying that there were also several impressive individual performances galore during the matchday. On that note, here's a look at the ten most interesting stats that emerged from the fifth matchday of the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League:
#10 Three teams are still perfect in the Champions League this season
Entering the fifth matchday of this season's Champions League, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Ajax and Juventus had all won their opening four games. In the process, they became the first four teams this season to qualify for the knockouts.
While Juventus suffered a chastening 4-0 reverse at holders Chelsea, the three other teams continued their perfect campaigns.
Only three teams have a perfect record in the Champions League this season:
🇳🇱 Ajax
🇩🇪 Bayern
🏴 Liverpool
Looking to join the 6/6 club. #UCL https://t.co/7LmNSASkje
Bayern Munich won 2-1 at Dynamo Kyiv, Liverpool overwhelmed Porto 2-0 at home and Ajax won 2-1 at Besiktas.
#9 Ajax become the first Dutch team to win their first five games in a Champions League season
Ajax have continued their imperious progress in this season's Champions League. The Eredivisie giants had already qualified for the Round of 16 ahead of their Matchday 5 trip to Besiktas.
Nevertheless, the former winners eked out a 2-1 win in Turkey to move to within one win of a perfect group-stage campaign. In the process, Erik ten Hag's men became the first Dutch team to win their first five games of a Champions League campaign.
Ajax are the first Dutch team in Champions League history to win the opening five games of a #UCL campaign:
WWWWW
Goals: 16
Conceded: 3
Clean sheets: 2
With record-breaking Sébastien Haller leading the line. 😍 https://t.co/VcW8b1sWye
Earlier, Ajax had won 5-1 at Sporting Lisbon, seen off Besiktas 2-0 at home and beaten Borussia Dortmund twice (4-0 at home and 3-1 away).
#8 After 50 games in charge, Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea have kept more clean sheets than any other top-five league team in this period
To call Thomas Tuchel a man with a Midas touch would not be an understatement. Assuming the reins of a stuttering Chelsea team in midseason earlier this year, he led the Blues to an unexpected Champions League triumph.
This season, Tuchel's men are atop the Premier League table. Meanwhile, in the Champions League, Chelsea produced an attacking and defensive masterclass to beat Juventus 4-0 to go top of their group. In the process, they also qualified for the Round of 16, with the Blues likely to win the group on Matchday 6.
The win over Juventus was Tuchel's 50th game in charge of Chelsea across competitions and the Blues marked the occasion with a 32nd clean sheet. That's more than what any other team across Europe's top five leagues has managed during this period.
50 - This was Thomas Tuchel’s 50th match in charge of Chelsea in all competitions, and 32nd win (D11 L7). The Blues have kept 31 clean sheets in those 50 games, more than any other side in Europe’s big-five leagues in this period, conceding just 24 goals. Elite. https://t.co/yZg0FmizK7
On current form, Chelsea will take some stopping.
#7 Edouard Mendy has kept the same number of clean sheets for Chelsea after 60 games as Petr Cech
Edouard Mendy has been a breath of fresh air since his arrival at Chelsea last summer.
The game against Juventus was Mendy's 60th for the Blues and the Senegalese shot-stopper marked the occasion with an impressive 35th clean sheet. Interestingly, that's the same number of clean sheets managed by the Blues' legendary custodian, Petr Cech.
Edouard Mendy has exactly the same clean sheet record as Petr Cech after 60 Chelsea games 🤚 https://t.co/yI0FO6RuMr
Thirteen of these clean sheets - four this season - have come in the Champions League.