Is Arda Güler’s goal the fastest in Champions League history?
In today’s Champions League quarterfinal clash against Bayern Munich, Real Madrid took a very, very early lead at the Allianz Arena.
Arda Güler gave Real Madrid a dream start to tonight’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich, scoring inside the first minute of the quarterfinal second leg.
Latching on to a loose pass by Bayern’s Manuel Neuer, who had ventured well out of his goalmouth, Güler lifted the ball over the keeper’s head and into the net, scoring with a pinpoint chip from around 30 yards out.
Timed at 35 seconds, the Turk’s goal was the earliest ever scored by a Real Madrid player in the Champions League.
35 - At 35 seconds, Arda Güller 🇹🇷 has scored @realmadriden's fastest goal in their entire history in the UEFA @ChampionsLeague. Spark. pic.twitter.com/BvXCln9Gay
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) April 15, 2026
But was Güler’s goal the fastest overall in the Champions League?
No: Arda’s quickfire strike was actually three times slower than the fastest ever goal in the Champions League, which was scored by Roy Makaay in 2006/07.
Coincidentally, Makaay’s goal also came in a knockout-phase clash between Bayern and Madrid. In a last-16 return leg in March 2007, the Dutch striker scored for the Germans after just 10.12 seconds.
The goal helped Bayern to a 2-1 second-leg win - a result that sealed an away-goals triumph for the Bavarians. In the first leg at the Bernabéu, Madrid had won 3-2.
Fastest ever UCL goals - the top 5:
- 1. Roy Makaay, for Bayern vs Real Madrid: 10.12 seconds (Mar. 2007)
- 2. Jonas Gonçalves, for Valencia vs Leverkusen: 10.96 seconds (Nov. 2011)
- 3. Gilberto Silva, for Arsenal vs PSV: 20.07 seconds (Sep. 2002)
- 4. Alessandro Del Piero, for Juventus vs Man Utd: 20.12 seconds (Oct. 1997)
- 5: Clarence Seedorf, for AC Milan vs Schalke: 21.06 seconds (Sep. 2005)
Source: UEFA.com
Güler bags brace in Bavaria - but earns red card as Madrid beaten
After Güler’s first-minute opener for Madrid, Aleksandar Pavlovic quickly equalized on the night for Bayern, who won last week’s first leg 2-1. But on the half-hour mark, Güler was on target again: the 21-year-old fired a direct free-kick into Neuer’s top corner, beating the custodian with a strike that levelled the quarterfinal tie at 3-3.
Nine minutes after Güler’s second, Harry Kane’s low shot re-established Bayern’s aggregate lead - before Kylian Mbappé soon squared the series once more, firing in his 15th goal of the current Champions League campaign.
In the second half, however, two late goals by Luis Díaz and Michael Olise clinched a 6-4 aggregate for Bayern, who avenged their 2024 semifinal defeat to Los Merengues.
Shortly before Díaz’s crucial strike, Madrid had Eduardo Camavinga sent off for two bookings - a decision that infuriated the visitors. Indeed, Güler’s postmatch remonstrations saw the youngster also earn a red card from referee Slavko Vincic.
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