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The Champions League is arguably the most illustrious competition in European football, if not world football.
32 teams fight it out every year to get to the final of the tournament, but only two manage to complete the journey. But each knockout stage is more challenging than the next, with the semi-final being the most intimidating round.
The Champions League has been a free-scoring competition in recent years
The Champions League has seen quite a lot of goals scored year-after-year, with many free scoring semi-finals. Before the start of the current campaign, away goals were a huge advantage for many teams, which led to the vulnerability of many clubs, especially in the second leg.
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Some players come alive during this stage of the competition and step up when their side needs them the most.
On that note, let's take a look at the five players with the most goals in the Champions League semi-finals.
#5 Alessandro Del Piero- 5
Alessandro Del Piero is certainly one of the greats of Italian football and his time at Juventus depicts the same. The centre-forward played for 19 years for the Old Lady before calling it quits in 2012.
However, during that process, he scored many goals for them, especially in the UCL. The striker had a knack for being in the right position at the right time, thereby enabling him to perform at his utmost best against the biggest teams in Europe. Although he only won the trophy once with Juventus, he scored five goals in the UCL semi-finals for them.
The attacker is arguably the greatest centre-forward in the club's history in the 20th century.
#4 Lionel Messi- 6
Lionel Messi is often heralded as the greatest player to ever grace the game and his goal-scoring record is a portrayal of the same.
Like many of the greats, his strikes in the UCL with Barcelona are remembered fondly, especially in the semi-final stages. The Argentinian legend has 125 goals in the competition, with six of them coming in the semi-finals. Moreover, his solo goals against Real Madrid in 2011 and against Bayern Munich in 2015 will forever be cherished by fans of the game.
Messi last reached the UCL semi-finals in 2019, where his Barcelona side were on the receiving end of a famous comeback by Liverpool. The South American star will be hoping to return to that stage with more positive results soon with Paris Saint-Germain.
#3 Robert Lewandowski- 7
Robert Lewandowski is perhaps the most complete centre-forward in world football at the moment. The striker has been scoring goals in the Bundesliga for fun over the years, but his record in the Champions League is not too shabby either.
The Polish star certainly knows where the back of the net lies and is efficient when provided with an opportunity to score goals. But he has displayed immense leadership when his side have needed him, especially in the Champions League semi-finals.
The striker has scored seven goals at that stage over the last decade. He could have increased that tally this season if Bayern Munich had not been eliminated by Villarreal in the quarter-finals.
Regardless, the former Borussia Dortmund star will be eager to move up this list in the coming years.
#2 Karim Benzema- 7
From one world-class striker to the next, Karim Benzema has been on fire this season. The Frenchman has scored 41 goals across all competitions, including his 14 strikes in 10 UCL games.
The centre-forward scored a hat-trick against PSG in the Round of 16 before repeating that feat against Chelsea in the quarter-finals. To add to all of this, he also bagged two goals in Real Madrid's recent first leg 4-3 defeat in the semi-final against Manchester City.
However, the striker has also scored in the UCL semi-finals previously, taking his tally to seven goals in the penultimate stage of the tournament.
Benzema could certainly increase this number next week as Los Blancos look to get past the reigning Premier League champions.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is the ultimate big-game player and has been heralded as Mr. Champions League ever since he started playing in the competition. The winger turned centre-forward is arguably the most clutch player in the history of the tournament.
Although he was impeccable with Juventus in the UCL, his most notable contributions in the competition have been with Real Madrid and Manchester United. He currently has more goals (140) than anybody else in the competition, while his record in the knockout stages is just as incredible.
The Portuguese legend has 13 goals in the Champions League semi-finals, almost as many as the next two names combined.
(Note: This tweet was made before Real Madrid's semi-final first leg clash on April 26, where Karim Benzema scored two more goals)
A true legend of the game, few will be able to replicate his performances in the Champions League in the history of the tournament.
