Goalscoring records shattered on opening night
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Article summary
A record opening average of 3.75 goals per game greeted the start of the new UEFA Champions League season, with 30 strikes the best first-night total in the current format.
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Fans were treated to an unprecedented 30 goals on the opening night of the 2013/14 UEFA Champions League, smashing the existing record for the competition in its current incarnation.
Since 1999/00, the first 32-team edition of the competition, the most goals scored on the first night of action had been 27 in 2000/01. But Tuesday night's action brought a deluge of goals – including memorable strikes for Manchester City FC's Yaya Touré and Olympiacos FC's Vladimír Weiss as well as Wayne Rooney's 199th and 200th goals for Manchester United FC and a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick. Indeed, there might have been more had FC København goalkeeper Johan Wiland not put in the performance of a lifetime to keep the score in his side's home game against Juventus to a respectable 1-1.
In only two seasons since the competition's inception have more than 30 goals been scored on the opening night of group stage action – in 1997/98 and 1998/99, when there were 12 games played rather than the now-standard eight. Last night's total eclipses the highest average goals per game figure for any opening night of a UEFA Champions League regardless of the number of teams involved.
However, Wednesday's teams will have to raise their game even further if they are to make it the highest scoring matchday in the history of the UEFA Champions League. After the 27 goals on the opening night in 2000/01, there were 36 on the second, a total of 63 over the course of the two nights – and a whopping average of 3.94 per game.
UEFA Champions League matchday one totals
Current format
2013/14: 30 goals at 3.750 per game
2012/13: 22 goals at 2.750 per game
2011/12: 17 goals at 2.125 per game
2010/11: 22 goals at 2.750 per game
2009/10: 21 goals at 2.625 per game
2008/09: 22 goals at 2.750 per game
2007/08: 17 goals at 2.125 per game
2006/07: 22 goals at 2.750 per game
2005/06: 22 goals at 2.750 per game
2004/05: 16 goals at 2.000 per game
2003/04: 22 goals at 2.750 per game
2002/03: 16 goals at 2.000 per game
2001/02: 20 goals at 2.500 per game
2000/01: 27 goals at 3.375 per game
1999/00: 13 goals at 1.625 per game
24-team format
1998/99: 32 goals at 2.667 per game
1997/98: 34 goals at 2.833 per game
16-team format
1996/97: 24 goals – at 3.000 per game
1995/96: 17 goals – at 2.125 per game
1994/95: 18 goals – at 2.250 per game
Eight-team format
1993/94: 10 goals – at 2.500 per game
1992/93: 13 goals – at 3.250 per game
