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The 2021-22 UEFA Champions League is approaching its business end. Most top teams have sealed their berths in the Round of 16, but a few others have missed the bus, or are on the cusp of doing so.
Nevertheless, the fifth matchday of the competition this week produced a plethora of impressive team and individual performances. Cristiano Ronaldo scored in a fifth game running as Manchester United commenced their post-Ole Gunnar Solskjaer era with a 2-0 win at Villarreal. In the process, they qualified for the Champions League knockouts despite an indifferent domestic campaign.
The likes of Karim Benzema, Robert Lewandowski and Mohamed Salah were also on target during the matchday. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi and Neymar drew blanks as PSG lost 2-1 at Manchester City to cede top spot in the group.
However, an unheralded player continued his fine start to life in the Champions League. In the process, he joined an exclusive group by scoring on Matchday 5. On that note, here's a look at the only four players to have scored in their first five games in the UEFA Champions League:
#1 Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus) - 1995
Alessandro Del Piero had a Champions League debut to remember, way back in 1995. The then 21-year-old announced his arrival on the big stage with a superb strike in Juventus' 3-1 win in their 1995-96 season opener.
The 2006 FIFA World Cup winner also bagged two assists in the game, capping off a memorable all-round performance.
Del Piero then proceeded to score in each of his next four games in the competition.
That made the Italian striker the first player in Champions League history to score in their first five games in the competition. That feat would not be emulated for almost two decades.
He also scored in the quarter-final second leg at Real Madrid as the Bianconeri went on to win their only title till date in the Champions League. Del Piero ended his career in the competition with 42 goals and 21 assists in 89 games, all for Juventus.
#2 Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid) - 2013
Diego Costa made a blistering start to life in the Champions League. On his competition debut in 2013 against Austria Vienna, the then 25-year-old scored a brace to power Atletico Madrid to a 3-0 win in the Austrian capital.
As if to prove that was no fluke, Costa then proceeded to score in each of his next four games, including both legs of the Round of 16. In the process, the Spaniard joined Del Piero as the only two players to score in their first five games in the Champions League.
He also scored in the semi-final against Chelsea as the Rojiblancos reached their first Champions League final. However, Costa hobbled off after only nine minutes in the title match against Real Madrid, who won 4-1 in extra time on the night.
Costa failed to build on his promising exploits, though, scoring only thrice in his next four Champions League campaigns.
#3 Erling Haaland (Red Bull Salzburg) - 2019
Erling Haaland announced himself on the Champions League stage when he scored a hat-trick for RB Salzburg on his competition debut in 2019.
The then-teenager then proceeded to net in each of his next four games. That made Haaland the first player in Champions League history to score eight goals in his first five games in the competition.
Fast forward two years, the 21-year-old has scored 21 times in only 18 Champions League games. His last 13 goals have come for his current club Borussia Dortmund.
In his absence in the last three games in this season's competition, though, BVB endured as many defeats to drop out of the Round-of-16 reckoning.
#4 Sebastien Haller (Ajax) - 2021
Sebastien Haller has taken to the UEFA Champions League like a duck to water. The Ajax striker opened his account in the competition with a stunning quadruple on his Champions League debut against Sporting Lisbon. He hasn't looked back since then.
Haller then proceeded to net in each of his next three games before a brace at Besiktas on Matchday 5 helped him script history. In the process, he became only the fourth player to score in their first five games in the Champions League.
That wasn't the only record Haller created on the night, though. With nine goals in five games, Haller has broken Haaland's record for most Champions League goals after five games.
In the process, he also became the first Ajax player to score in the first five games of a Champions League campaign. Ajax, in fact, have become the first Dutch side to win their first five games in a season in the Champions League era.
