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The 2020-21 edition of the UEFA Champions League saw most of the continental heavyweights qualifying for the next stage of the competition, but two former winners - Manchester United and Inter Milan - failed to make the cut.
This season's competition has had its usual share of goals and thrills, with 289 goals scored in 96 group-stage games across eight groups.
Five players with the most goal contributions in this season's Champions League
While Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the two all-time top-scorers in Champions League history, have had relatively underwhelming campaigns considering their staggering standards, a few other players managed to outshine the two maestros.
On that note, let us have a look at the five players with the most goal contributions in the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League.
Honourable Mentions
Ciro Immobile (five goals and one assist) and Angelino (three goals and three assists) have also had six goal-contributions. However, they miss out on the top five, as they either scored less than six goals or tallied less than two assists.
So, without further ado, let's get started.
#5 Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) - 6 (six goals)
Since making his Champions League debut in 2017-18, Marcus Rashford enjoyed his most prolific campaign in the competition this season, as he tallied six goals in as many games.
The 23-year-old winger came on as a substitute to score a hat-trick in Manchester United's 5-0 win at home against Leipzig. That made Rashford only the fifth player in the Champions League to come off the bench and bag a three-goal haul.
The Englishman also scored against Paris St. Germain, home and away, and netted in United's home win over Istanbul Basaksehir.
However, despite his exploits, Manchester United crashed out of the competition following defeats at home to Paris St. Germain and away at Leipzig.
#4 Erling Braut Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) - 6 (six goals)
Erling Braut Haaland has taken to the Champions League like a duck to water.
After a fabulous debut campaign last season, one in which he netted ten goals, the Norwegian striker hit the ground running in the Champions League this season.
Haaland scored in each of the four games he has played in the 2020-21 Champions League, scoring goals against Lazio and St. Petersburg and braces in Borussia Dortmund's home and away wins against Club Brugge.
A torn muscle fibre meant that Haaland missed Dortmund's last two group-stage games, which meant that three other players caught up with him atop this season's Champions League goal-scoring charts.
#3 Alvaro Morata (Juventus) - 7 (six goals, one assist)
Alvaro Morata has had a fabulous second 'homecoming' at Juventus since his arrival at the club this summer, scoring six times in the Champions League and thrice in the Serie A.
The Spanish striker has stolen the thunder of his more illustrious teammate Cristiano Ronaldo in the Champions League, scoring six goals in as many games and bagging an assist as well.
In fact, Morata could have bagged a hat-trick in Juventus' 2-0 home loss to Barcelona if not for VAR ruling out each of his efforts for off-side.
The 28-year-old bagged his first Champions League brace in the 2-0 win at Dynamo Kyiv on Matchday 1 before conjuring another against Ferencvaros.
#2 Neymar (Paris St. Germain) - 7 (six goals, one assist)
After failing to inspire Paris St. Germain to the Champions League title last season, Neymar has been in sizzling form in the competition in 2020-21.
The 28-year-old Brazilian scored the lone goal in PSG's win over Leipzig. Neymar then followed up with a brace at Manchester United to keep alive the French club's Round of 16 hopes before a record-breaking hat-trick rubberstamped PSG's Round of 16 berth.
Neymar's three-goal haul on Matchday 6 against Basaksehir made him the only player after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi (eight apiece) to net three Champions League hat-tricks.
It also made the Brazilian the first player to score 20 goals in the competition for two different clubs - Barcelona (20) and PSG (21).
Magnanimously, Neymar spurned the opportunity to claim his hat-trick by asking teammate Kylian Mbappe to take a penalty against Basaksehir that helped end the Frenchman's nine-game barren run in the Champions League.
As it turned out, Neymar did complete his hat-trick in the second half of that game to join elite company.
#1 Alassane Plea (Borussia Monchengladbach) - 8 (five goals, three assists)
Alassane Plea has emulated his younger compatriot Kylian Mbappe in scoring five goals in his debut Champions League campaign, the only Frenchman to do so in competition history.
The 27-year-old Borussia Monchengladbach striker scored a hat-trick in his side's dazzling 6-0 win at Shakhtar Donetsk on Matchday 6 before netting a brace in the 2-3 home loss against Inter Milan.
Besides his goals, the Frenchman has also provided three assists in the competition, doing so against Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk to help his side qualify for the Round of 16.
