Top 5 goal contributors from UEFA Champions League 2023-24
The UEFA Champions League specialists Real Madrid were crowned as champions for the 15th time in the club's history after beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at the Wembley Stadium on June 1. Goals from Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior were enough to overcome Die Schwarzgelben, who missed a couple of glorious opportunities in the first half.
Although the final saw only two goals, Europe's elite competition averaged three goals per game, taking the 2023-24 campaign's tally to 375 -- from the group stages to Vinicius' final strike. Treated with goals from the beginning to the culmination of the championship, many forwards stood out for their respective clubs.
As for a few players, their goals meant that their team met their season targets, but other players did not achieve what their team were supposed to. The failure to accomplish the collective target does not mean warranty the failure to applaud individuals' efforts.
In this article, we shall look at five players who contributed more than anyone else in the 2023-24 Champions League season.
#5 Galeno (FC Porto)
Galeno had more Champions League goal contributions than appearances last campaign. The Brazilian, who famously scored the last-minute winner against Arsenal in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16, hit the back of the net five times and assisted his teammates four times, tallying nine goals from just seven appearances.
His goal contributions solely came against Shakhtar Donetsk, scoring four goals and assisting thrice against the Ukrainian outfit. He is a player to watch out for in the coming seasons.
#4 Phil Foden (Manchester City)
Phil Foden, who won the Premier League Player of the Year, nearly led his boyhood club to another Champions League semifinal with nine-goal contributions. The Englishman's world-class strike against Real Madrid sent tremors to the Santiago Bernabeu crowd. However, Los Blancos were able to fight back to produce an extraordinary comeback.
Foden's goal contributions were spread across nearly every game, scoring or assisting in seven out of eight games against five opponents this campaign. Undoubtedly, he has been the Citizens' best player of the 2023-24 season.
#3 Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
Jude Bellingham operated higher up the field during the first part of the season when the Spanish giants were grappling with the fitness of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo. Whilst playing in the attacking positions, he scored four and assisted three times in the Champions League group stages alone.
The Englishman did not enjoy a great deal of goalscoring return during the knockout stages of the competition, scoring one against Leipzig in the Round of 16 and assisting Vinicius Junior in the final. The form in front of the goal has not helped his Ballon d'Or credentials, as his teammate Vinicius looks to have overtaken him in the queue for the most coveted individual trophy.
#2 Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
Vinicius Junior finished second in the Champions League goal contributions after an improvised chipped finish against Borussia Dortmund last night, taking his tally to 11. The Brazilian, who started 10 games throughout the competition, missed three matches due to injuries against Union Berlin and Napoli.
Currently one of the most feared footballers on the planet, Vinicius scored against Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and RB Leipzig, and assisted twice against Manchester City in the knockout stages. His goal in the final put the game beyond the German outfit's eyesight.
#1 Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
Despite contributing 56 goals to Bayern Munich last campaign, Harry Kane has ended his season trophyless. The fact that his deadly goalscoring form did not yield his team results will be heartbreaking for him.
The 30-year-old was perhaps the most standout player from the 2023-24 Champions League despite not getting his hands on the coveted trophy. In addition to tallying seven-goal contributions in the group stages, he netted a brace against Lazio and scored a goal apiece against Arsenal and Real Madrid. His brilliant assist to Alphonso Davies nearly drove his side to the Champions League final.