Champions League: Iker Casillas still setting European records
Against Galatasaray the former Real Madrid keeper chalked up his 100th victory in the competition and became the first player to reach the knock-out stage 19 times.
Iker Casillas is continuing to embellish his legend in European elite football on the back of a fine season at Porto and has broken a few more records in the Champions League.
At the outset of the season the former Real Madrid keeper became the first player to contest 20 consecutive Champions League seasons and a few months later, against Lokomotiv Moscow, the 37-year-old stopped a Fernandes penalty to record his sixth successful save from the spot in the Champions League, taking him one ahead of Petr Cech.
At the end of November, Porto secured their passage to the knock-out stages of the competition and Casillas became the first player in Champions League history to reach the knock-out stages 19 times. The only occasion as a professional when he has not done do was in the 2015-16 season when Porto finished third in Group G behind José Mourinho’s Chelsea and Dynamo Kiev.
Casillas brings up Champions League ton
On Tuesday against Galatasaray, Casillas joined an elite club of two players with 100 Champions League victories to their name alongside his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, who missed out on the opportiunity to move to 101 as Juventus lost to Young Boys.
Casillas has also been quietly extending his seemingly insurmountable position as the player with most Champions League appearances in the history of the tournament. The keeper made his 173rd appearance against Galatasaray with Ronaldo his nearest pursuer on 158.
