Benfica end title wait: 2021/22 at a glance
Monday, April 25, 2022
Article summary
Benfica won a final at the fourth attempt while a trio of players shared top-scorer honours as the competition returned after a season's absence.
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Benfica have got their hands on the UEFA Youth League trophy after winning the final at the fourth attempt. The Eagles defeated Salzburg 6-0 in Nyon to avenge their 2017 showpiece loss to the Austrian side – the second of their final setbacks in between the reverses in 2014 and 2020.
We pick out the key info from the campaign as the competition returned following a COVID-enforced absence in 2020/21.
Finals results
Semi-finals
22 April, Nyon
Juventus 2-2 Benfica (3-4 pens)
Atlético 0-5 Salzburg
Final
25 April, Nyon
Salzburg 0-6 Benfica
Top scorers
7 Mads Hansen (Midtjylland)
7 Aral Simsir (Midtjylland)
7 Roko Šimić (Salzburg)
6 Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (Borussia Dortmund)
6 Filip Čuić (Hajduk Split)
6 Luka Sučić (Salzburg)
5 Samba Diallo (Dynamo Kyiv)
5 Bradley Fink (Borussia Dortmund)
5 Oscar Fraulo (Midtjylland)
5 Djeidi Gassama (Paris Saint-Germain)
5 Timotej Jambor (Žilina)
5 James McAtee (Manchester City)
5 Cisse Sandra (Club Brugge)
5 Luis Semedo (Benfica)
5 Zalán Vancsa (MTK Budapest)
Records and key stats
- Benfica equalled the records for semi-final appearances and final appearances by reaching their fourth of each.
- Benfica became the first team to score four or more in a final, while Salzburg's 5-0 semi-final win was a record margin for that round.
- Henrique Araújo scored the first Youth League final hat-trick.
- Martim Neto of Benfica scored the fastest-ever goals for both the semi-finals and final.
- The final was Benfica's 70th match in the competition, taking them one ahead of Real Madrid's old record.
- Benfica's Hugo Félix is the younger brother of João Félix, who was in the Eagles side that lost the 2017 final to Salzburg.
- Madrid kept up their record of reaching at least the round of 16 in all eight editions; Atlético also got past the group stage for the eighth time.
- Benfica equalled Madrid's record of six quarter-finals.
- There were record crowds for the domestic champions path (12,189: Deportivo La Coruña vs Maccabi Haifa) and quarter-finals (19,300: Borussia Dortmund vs Atlético).
- Midtjylland have successfully navigated the domestic champions path on all their record five entries in the six seasons since its introduction.
Roll of honour
2022: Benfica 6-0 Salzburg (beaten semi-finalists Atlético & Juventus)
2021: No competition
2020: Real Madrid 3-2 Benfica (beaten semi-finalists Salzburg & Ajax)
2019: Porto 3-1 Chelsea (beaten semi-finalists Barcelona & Hoffenheim)
2018: Barcelona 3-0 Chelsea (beaten semi-finalists Manchester City & Porto)
2017: Salzburg 2-1 Benfica (beaten semi-finalists: Barcelona & Real Madrid)
2016: Chelsea 2-1 Paris Saint-Germain (beaten semi-finalists: Anderlecht & Real Madrid)
2015: Chelsea 3-2 Shakhtar Donetsk (beaten semi-finalists: Anderlecht & Roma)
2014: Barcelona 3-0 Benfica (beaten semi-finalists: Real Madrid & Schalke)
Most titles
By club
2 Barcelona
2 Chelsea
1 Benfica
1 Porto
1 Real Madrid
1 Salzburg
By country
3 Spain
2 England
2 Portugal
1 Austria
Most final appearances
By club
4 Benfica
4 Chelsea
2 Barcelona
2 Salzburg
1 Paris Saint-Germain
1 Porto
1 Real Madrid
1 Shakhtar Donetsk
By country
5 Portugal
4 England
3 Spain
2 Austria
1 France
1 Ukraine
Most semi-final appearances
By club
4 Barcelona
4 Benfica
4 Chelsea
4 Real Madrid
3 Salzburg
2 Anderlecht
2 Porto
1 Ajax
1 Atlético
1 Hoffenheim
1 Juventus
1 Manchester City
1 Paris Saint-Germain
1 Roma
1 Schalke
1 Shakhtar Donetsk
By country
9 Spain
6 Portugal
5 England
3 Austria
2 Belgium
2 Germany
2 Italy
1 France
1 Netherlands
1 Ukraine
Bold=including 2022