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Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior has overtaken Lionel Messi's assists records in the knockout stages of the Champions League. The Brazilian forward achieved the feat after setting up Jude Bellingham in Los Blancos' 3-2 win over Manchester City on Tuesday, February 11, at the Etihad.
The reigning champions went behind in the playoffs first leg after Erling Haaland's 19th minute strike. Kylian Mbappe leveled the scores in the 60th minute, but the Norwegian sent City ahead once again in the 80th minute from the spot.
However, Real Madrid were back in the game six minutes later through Brahim Diaz's goal. Just when it looked like the game would end in a draw, Vinicius broke through the backline and lifted the ball over the onrushing Ederson.
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While the ball appeared to be going wide, Bellingham rushed in to push it into the open goal to secure a win for Los Blancos. In the process, the Brazilian picked up his 13th assist in the Knockouts of the Champions League, overtaking Lionel Messi, who has 12.
Interestingly, the 24-year-old has achieved the feat in 50 fewer games. However, the Real Madrid man is a long way away from matching La Pulga's total assist records in the tournament.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has 40 assists in the Champions League and is third in the all-time assists charts. Angel Di Maria is second with 41 assists, while Cristiano Ronaldo is leading the charts with 42 assists.
How many goals has Lionel Messi scored against Real Madrid in the Champions League?
Lionel Messi has faced Real Madrid on four occasions in the Champions League during his time with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The Argentinean has won two games and lost one, scoring two goals.
La Pulga faced Los Blancos for the first time in the Champions League in the 2010/11 campaign as a Barcelona player. The two Spanish giants locked horns in the semifinals of the tournament.
The Catalans won the away leg 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Lionel Messi scoring a brace. The home leg at Camp Nou ended in a 1-1 draw, with Barcelona progressing to the final and eventually lifting the Cup.
La Pulga next faced Real Madrid in the 2021/22 Champions League Round of 16 tie during his time with PSG. The Parisians won the home leg 1-0, but succumbed to a 3-1 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu.
