Champions League 23-24 quarterfinals set stunning scoring record

The Champions League quarterfinals 23-24 went into the record books with the joint record number of goals in the first leg, with 18 goals across the four matches. That equalled the record set in 2011. That tally meant that we still required the eight sets of players to add a further 12 in the second legs to equal the most ever across the two-legged knockout phase, with 30 being the most ever, set back in 2014. We were in for a further treat.

Highest number of goals in Champions League quarterfinal first legs

In the opening first legs on Tuesday 9 April, Real Madrid drew with Manchester City 3-3, while Arsenal and Bayern Munich drew two apiece, for a total of 10 goals. Wednesday saw Barcelona beat PSG in Paris 3-2, and then Atlético Madrid got a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund, to add a further eight goals, taking the total first leg tally to 18.

In 2011, Real Madrid beat Spurs 4-0, Man Utd beat Chelsea 1-0, Barcelona battered Shakhtar Donetsk 5-1 and Schalke 04 got a famous 5-2 win over Inter, also for a total of 18.

Highest number of goals in Champions League quarterfinals

As mentioned above, the second legs required a combined total of 12 to tie with the all-time quarterfinal scoring record. Tuesday 16 April got us going well, with scores of Barcelona 1-4 PSG (PSG progressing 6-4 on aggregate) and Dortmund 4-2 Atlético (the Germans going through 5-4 on aggregate). Eleven goals. Just two more to set a new record, and by midway through the second halves we had it done.

Rodrygo for Madrid in the 11th minute and then Kimmich for Bayern in the 62nd. A total of 31 and the games were still going. De Bruyne then added to the tally, levelling things up with 15 minutes remaining in normal time. We were now at 32.

For your records, the previous record of 30 goals had stood since 2014, when there were exactly 15 goals scored across legs one and two.

Champions League scoring record in 2020

In the covid-19 affected 2020 quarterfinals, the matches were played over just one leg, and in those there were an incredible 20 goals scored in the four games, in part due to Bayern Munich dismantling Barcelona 8-2. Lyon beat Man City 3-1, Leipzig beat Atlético Madrid 2-1 and PSG were victorious 2-1 over Atalanta to complete the round.

Most goals ever in the first leg of the quarterfinals in the European Cup

While 18 is the record for quarterfinal first leg goals in the Champions League, there have been more in the European Cup – what the competition was called before – back in 1957, which saw 19 goals in total. That was made up with the following results: