UEFA Champions League 2019-20: 5 players who played a key role for their team on Matchday 5

Bhargav
Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski

The fifth Matchday of the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League saw Real Madrid, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona and Leipzig qualify for the Round of 16, leaving eight more knockout round places up for grabs on Matchday 6.

A record-breaking night of Champions League football saw Erling Braut Haaland became the first teenager to score in each of his first five games in the competition. Meanwhile, Robert Lewandowski and Lionel Messi created new milestones.

With qualification for the knockout round at stake, several players put in standout performances for their clubs on Matchday 5. Let us look at the five players who stood out the most:

#5 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)

Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema

By scoring a brace on Matchday 4 against Galatasaray, the Frenchman became the only player other than Lionel Messi to score in 15 consecutive seasons in the UEFA Champions League. Benzema then struck a brace against Madrid's Matchday 5 visitors Paris St. Germain in a 2-2 draw at the Bernabeu.

The result confirmed Madrid's qualification to the knockout round / second group-stage for a record 23rd consecutive season.

On the night, Madrid led by a goal on two occasions, as Benzema scored in each half. But the record 13-time champions couldn't hold on to a win which would have kept them in contention for winning the group.

Still, it was a job well done by Zinedine Zidane's men as Madrid became the first side to score against PSG in the Champions League this season and take points off the French champions. In the process a place in the Round of 16 was sealed, without having to bother about results elsewhere in the group.

Also check out : Champions League Schedule Champions League table Champions league top scorers

#4 Emil Forsberg (Leipzig)

Emil Forsberg
Emil Forsberg

Needing to avoid defeat to qualify for the Round of 16, Leipzig found themselves two goals behind on the hour mark in their Matchday 5 fixture at home to Benfica.

As the game approached full-time it appeared as though Leipzig would have to get the job done on the last day of group-stage action. But Emil Forsberg had other ideas.

The Swedish international scored a penalty in the 90th minute to give Leipzig hope. Six minutes later, the Bundesliga side were celebrating their maiden entry to the knockout round of the Champions League as Forsberg scored his second of the game and quadrupled his Champions League goal-tally.

#3 Lautaro Martinez (Internazionale)

Lautaro Martinez
Lautaro Martinez

Needing a win on Matchday 5 to keep their Round of 16 qualification hopes alive, Inter got off to a positive start in the Czech capital when Lautaro Martinez converted a pass from Romelu Lukaku to open the scoring in the 10th minute. With the goal, Martinez became only the 4th Internazionale player to score in four consecutive Champions League games - Samuel Eto'o, Christian Vieri and Hernan Crespo being the others.

Internazionale thought they had doubled their advantage on the night when goal-scorer and goal-provider swapped roles in the 35th minute. But the effort was ruled out for off-side.

A minute later, Tomas Soucek's penalty restored parity for the home side.

The 2010 winners remained the better team on attack for much of the game but poor finishing or the woodwork came in the way. Lukaku's 81st minute goal restored Inter's lead and seven minutes later, Martinez's second of the game rubber-stamped the win.

Inter, who play Barcelona at home on Matchday 6, will go through to the Round of 16 if they match or better Borussia Dortmund's result on the same Matchday.

#2 Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi

Making his 700th competitive appearance for Barcelona, Lionel Messi set up Luiz Suarez at the half-hour mark to open the scoring against Matchday 5 visitors Borussia Dortmund.

Four minutes later, the Argentina captain doubled his team's lead. In the process, Messi broke a tie with Raul and Cristiano Ronaldo by scoring against a 34th different team in the UEFA Champions League.

Messi was far from done for the day though. The club-record scorer set up substitute Antoine Greizmann for his team's third goal. He then smacked the woodwork with a sublime free-kick as Barcelona's 3-1 win on the night sealed qualification for the knockout round as group-winners.

#1 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski has been on fire in European club football this season. After seeing his record 11-game scoring streak in the Bundesliga come to an end against Dusseldorf last weekend, the prolific Pole turned his attention to the Champions League as though he wanted to complete some unfinished business.

One of only three players to score on each of the first four Matchdays of this season's competition (the others being Erling Braut Haaland and Memphis Depay), Lewandowski became the first player to score on each of the five Matchdays when he scored Bayern's second of the night away at Crvena Zvezda.

Then in a devastating 14-minute blitz, Lewandowski scored thrice more, to score his first Champions League hat-trick in over four years (third overall). The Poland international also recorded the fastest quadruple in Champions League history.

It was Lewandowski's first four-goal haul in the competition since scoring all four for Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of the 2012-13 Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid.

In the process, Bayern's prolific marksman became the only player after Lionel Messi to score multiple four-goal hauls in a Champions League game. His efforts ensured the Bundesliga side sealed top spot in the group with a game to spare.

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Edited by Musab Abid
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