10 interesting stats from Matchday 6 | UEFA Champions League 2021-22
After an enthralling six matchdays, the group stage of the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League has drawn to a close.
Fifteen teams have booked their places in the Round of 16. The one remaining spot will be taken up by either Atalanta or Villareal tomorrow, as their game in Bergamo had to be postponed because of heavy snowfall.
As is usually the case on every matchday of the Champions League, there were impressive performances and records galore on the final day of group action. Most of the continent's bigwigs - except one - sealed their berths in the knockout round.
⏰ RESULTS ⏰
Benfica, LOSC & Salzburg secure last-16 spots 👏
ℹ️ Barcelona, Sevilla & Wolfsburg miss out on final day
🔝 Best performance?
#UCL
The matchday saw many interesting landmarks and records getting created. On that note, here's a look at ten interesting stats from matchday six of the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League:
#10 Barcelona fail to reach Champions League knockouts for the first time in 21 years
Barcelona were already in unchartered territory before traveling to Bayern Munich on Matchday 6. After two wins in five games, the Blaugrana needed a win in Germany to seal their berth in the Round of 16, without bothering about results elsewhere. However, their recent form didn't warrant any confidence.
That proved to be the case in Bavaria on Wednesday. Xavi's men suffered their second 3-0 reverse against Bayern Munich this season. With already-eliminated Dynamo Kyiv failing to win away at Benfica in the other group game, Barcelona were knocked out from Round of 16 contention.
It marked the first time in over two decades - 21 years to be exact - that the five-time Champions League winners won't grace the knockout stage of the competition.
Did Barcelona qualify for the #UCL KO stage?
✅ 01/02
✅ 02/03
✅ 04/05
✅ 05/06
✅ 06/07
✅ 07/08
✅ 08/09
✅ 09/10
✅ 10/11
✅ 11/12
✅ 12/13
✅ 13/14
✅ 14/15
✅ 15/16
✅ 16/17
✅ 17/18
✅ 18/19
✅ 19/20
✅ 20/21
❌ 21/22
Into the #UEL they go. 😬 https://t.co/MGWPW4cryD
As a consolation of sorts, Barcelona have dropped down to the Europa League, a competition they last played in 2003-04.
#9 Salzburg become first Austrian team to reach the Champions League knockouts
Coming into the final day of games in Group G, all four teams - Lille, Salzburg, Sevilla and Wolfsburg - were in contention for the Champions League knockouts.
As it transpired, Lille won 3-1 at Wolfsburg, while Salzburg prevailed by a solitary goal against Sevilla to take the top two places in the group. In the process, Salzburg became the first Austrian team to reach the knockout stage of the Champions League.
Red Bull Salzburg are the first Austrian team to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League in the #UCL era.
It gives you wiiings. 🦋 https://t.co/7kolSFAnox
Matthias Jaissle's men won three of their six games and drew one to finish a point behind group winners and reigning Ligue 1 winners Lille (11).
#8 Liverpool become the first English team to win all six group games in a Champions League season
Liverpool continued their imperious run in this season's Champions League. Having already won their group coming into their Matchday 6 game at AC Milan, a much-changed Reds team proved to be too hot for the Rossoneri at the San Siro.
Despite making eight changes to the team that started their Premier League game last weekend, Jurgen Klopp saw his team win 2-1 on the night. The result not only doused Milan's slim hopes of making the knockouts, but also helped Liverpool create some history of their own.
With the win, the six-time winners became the first English team to win all six group games in a Champions League campaign.
6 - Liverpool are the first English club ever to win all six of their games in a single UEFA Champions League group stage. Super. https://t.co/S0yPU2pOi4
Liverpool were not alone in registering a perfect group-stage campaign, though. Ajax and Bayern Munich also sailed through to the Champions League knockouts without dropping a point. It marked the first time in the competition's history that more than one team registered perfect group-stage campaigns in the same season.
#7 Bayern Munich become the second team to win all six Champions League group games on multiple occasions
Bayern Munich had already qualified as group winners ahead of their Matchday 6 meeting at home to Barcelona.
However, Julian Nagelsmann fielded a strong team that took apart their lacklustre visitors. Although Robert Lewandowski drew a rare blank, Bayern Munich registered a comfortable 3-0 win on the night.
In the process, the Bavarian giants produced a perfect group-stage Champions League campaign for the second time. That made them only the second team in the competition's history to do so.
Only two teams have completed a perfect #UCL group stage in two different seasons:
Real Madrid
◉ 2011/12
◉ 2014/15
FC Bayern
◉ 2019/20
◉ 2021/22
European Royalty. #UCL https://t.co/XkCsniOonf
Ominously for the other contenders, the last time Bayern Munich won all six group games in the Champions League (2019-20), they went on to win the continental treble.