Messi eyes Raul record, Mane out to go level with Drogba – Champions League in Opta numbers

Lionel Messi has his sights on a record set by Real Madrid great Raul when Barcelona face Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, as the Champions League proper gets started for the 2019-20 season.

Barca’s talisman is back in their squad for the trip to Germany after missing the start of the campaign with a calf injury and, while he is unlikely to start, few would bet against him having a decisive impact if he does make an appearance.

Reigning champions Liverpool begin their title defence at Napoli in what will surely prove to be a tricky test, although Sadio Mane will be aiming to equal a record set by Didier Drogba.

There will also be Champions League bows in the dugout for Frank Lampard and Sylvinho.

Below, we examine the key data for Tuesday’s encounters…

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 2019/20 #UCL pic.twitter.com/bE71TigqHG

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 16, 2019

Salzburg v Genk

0 – Salzburg have not lost any of their last 18 home matches in European competition (W14 D4 – including qualifiers), with their most recent defeat at home coming in October 2016 against Nice in the Europa League.

1 – Genk forward Mbwana Samatta scored nine goals in 12 appearances in European competition last season and he also finished with 23 goals in the Belgian top flight in 2018-19. Should he play in this match, he will be the first Tanzanian player to make an appearance in the Champions League.

Napoli v Liverpool

5 – Napoli have won just one of their past six European meetings with English clubs, losing the other five in this run and failing to score in the most recent three. That one victory was against Liverpool last season, though.

15 – Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has scored 14 goals in 24 Champions League appearances. Should he score in his next outing, he will equal Didier Drogba’s record of needing just 25 appearances to score his first 15 goals in the competition, a record for any African player.

#UCL pic.twitter.com/xiPLaapWE4

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 16, 2019

Inter v Slavia Prague

20 – Inter will be making their 20th appearance in the Champions League/European Cup – only Juventus (34) and AC Milan (28) have had more among Italian sides (including 2019-20).

24 – Inter forward Alexis Sanchez has been involved in 24 goals (12 goals, 12 assists) in his 52 Champions League appearances, but none of these involvements came in six games in the competition for Manchester United, the club he left on loan last month.

Borussia Dortmund v Barcelona

33 – Lionel Messi has scored against 32 of the 37 different opponents he has faced in the Champions League. Should he score against Dortmund, the Barcelona star will equal the competition’s record for different teams scored against, set by Raul (33 clubs).

2 – Borussia Dortmund have won just two of their past eight Champions League home matches (D2 L4), losing their most recent match 1-0 against Tottenham in the last 16 in 2018-19.

 Leo #Messi is back!  pic.twitter.com/qIvDvNk6Eg

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) September 16, 2019

Lyon v Zenit

1 – Lyon boss Sylvinho will manage in the Champions League for the first time, also becoming the first non-Frenchman to take charge of the club in Europe’s elite competition. The Brazilian made 32 Champions League appearances as a player for Barcelona, Celta Vigo and Arsenal, scoring three goals.

58 – Zenit captain Branislav Ivanovic could make his first Champions League appearance since March 2016 (for Chelsea) in this match. He has made 58 appearances in the competition; only Dejan Stankovic (87) and Predrag Djordjevic (62) have made more among Serbian players.

Benfica v RB Leipzig

10 – Benfica are Portugal’s sole representative in the 2019-20 Champions League, making it the first time in a decade that there is only one Portuguese club in the competition.

3 – Timo Werner scored three goals from just seven shots on target in the Champions League back in 2017-18, more than any other RB Leipzig player. He went on to net seven times in European competition that term, the highest total by an RB Leipzig player in a single season.

 Training ahead of #SLBRBL! #UCL #WeAreBenfica pic.twitter.com/24gr9daALq

— SL Benfica (@slbenfica_en) September 16, 2019

Ajax v Lille

6 – Ajax won six games in the 2018-19 Champions League, as many as they did in their previous four participations in the competition.

11 – Including qualifiers, Lille have not won any of their past 11 European matches in all competitions (D6 L5) and scored only five goals in these games.

Chelsea v Valencia

102 – Frank Lampard will take charge of a Champions League game for the first time in his managerial career. As a Chelsea player, he made 102 appearances in the competition and is one of only 22 players to have played 100 games or more in the tournament with the same club.

2 – Valencia have reached the Champions League in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2012-13 (three in a row), which was also the last time they made it to the knockout stages of the competition, before being beaten by Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16.

The last time we faced Valencia at Stamford Bridge…

 @DidierDrogba #CHEVCF pic.twitter.com/CkYJfcTMe8

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 16, 2019