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The 2021-22 Champions League season has been nothing short of exhilarating. The most recent round of the first leg of the quarter-finals was evident of this fact. Nearly every game was won due to the scintillating attacking football played by almost every team.
Real Madrid were a prime example of the same as they beat Chelsea thanks to the brilliance of Karim Benzema. It proved the importance of proven goal-scorers for any team that aspires to win the UCL.
Center-forwards are key to any Champions League winning team
Over the past 15 years, Real Madrid and Barcelona have dominated the UCL. A key reason for the same was the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at their respective former clubs. They had a knack for scoring more than 10 goals in nearly every single UCL campaign. This feat is quite rare amongst others, although a few apart from them have also achieved the same.
On that note, let's take a look at the seven players who have scored more than 10 goals in a single Champions League campaign.
#7 Sebastian Haller- 11
Sebastian Haller may be the most obscure name on this list but the Ivorian was quite sensational in the UCL this season for Ajax. The Dutch side were eliminated in the Round of 16 tie by Benfica.
Haller has always been an expert finisher in European competitions, as evidenced by his Europa League career with Eintracht Frankfurt. He scored five goals and made three assists for the German club in 10 games in the Europa League in 2018-19.
However, after a disappointing time at West Ham United, very little was expected of him in Holland. But he has proven his doubters wrong this season by scoring 33 goals in 36 games across all competitions this season. This includes 11 strikes in the Champions League which helped Ajax win all six of their group matches.
It is unlikely that the African ace will have a better campaign than the current one ever again, but he will be proud to be part of this elite list.
#6 Karim Benzema- 11*
Karim Benzema often played in the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo during the Portuguese ace's illustrious time at Real Madrid. But in recent seasons, the Frenchman has come into his own and has made a case for being the best striker in the world.
Los Blancos faced quite a task in the Champions League this season as they faced Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16. After a disappointing first leg against the Parisians, Benzema rescued his side with a sublime hat-trick against in the second half of the second leg.
To add to that, he recently bagged another hat-trick in the first leg of the quarter-finals against Chelsea to win 3-1. He single-handedly put his side in pole position to qualify for the semi-finals.
This is the first time Benzema has scored more than 10 goals in a single Champions League season. He became the first French player to do so in the process. Given his current form, it will not be a surprise if he adds to this tally in the coming weeks.
#5- Mario Gomez- 12
Mario Gomez was one of the best strikers in the Bundesliga during his Stuttgart and Bayern Munich days. He achieved a lot of success with the latter club, including some individual feats.
The German striker managed to help Bayern reach three Champions League finals during his four seasons at the club, thereby proving his efficiency. However, his peak performance came in the 2011-12 campaign, when he scored 12 goals in 12 games. He led the Bavarians to a final in their own backyard against Chelsea. Although they lost that final, Gomez managed to get his hands on the trophy the following campaign.
Gomez is one of only three players who have failed to win the UCL Golden Boot despite scoring more than 10 goals in a single season. Messi and Ronaldo are the only others who have suffered the same fate.
#4 Ruud van Nistelrooy- 12
While most of the players on the list are current world-beaters, Ruud Van Nistelrooy is one of the best yester-year superstars in the game.
During his 18-year professional career, the Dutchman played for several clubs in three different countries. However, his time at Manchester United was arguably the best, given his performances with them in the Champions League. His most productive campaign came in the 2002-03 season, when he scored 12 goals.
Although Van Nistelrooy has never won a Champions League trophy in his career, he will be proud of this niche feat in the glorious competition.
#3- Robert Lewandowski- 15
Robert Lewandowski had a dull recent outing against Villarreal in the first leg of the quarter-finals this season as Bayern Munich lost 1-0. But he has otherwise been imperious in the competition this season. The Polish ace's 12 goals are evident of this fact.
However, his 12 strikes are not the best return he has produced in the Champions League. In the 2019-20 season, the Bayern Munich star led his side to glory in the tournament as he bagged 15 goals. The Bavarians will be relying on him to break his own record this season and rescue them in the second leg against Villarreal.
Lewandowski has broken numerous goal-scoring records during his trophy-laden career. So it is no surprise that he has achieved the feat of scoring more than 10 goals in a Champions League season on two occasions.
#2 Lionel Messi- 14
Lionel Messi is arguably going to go down as the best player of all-time whenever he decides to hang up his boots. His goal-scoring record was phenomenal with Barcelona and one would hope he does not tarnish those records during his time at Paris Saint-Germain. He scored five goals in the competition this season before PSG were eliminated in the Round of 16 at the hands of Real Madrid.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has won the Champions League four times and has won the UCL Golden Boot on six occasions. To add to these stunning records, he has scored more than 10 goals in a single UCL season in four previous instances.
He enjoyed his most productive campaign in the 2011-12 season, when he scored 14 goals. However, he failed to lead Barcelona to the final of the competition that year.
The Argentinian legend is the second highest goal-scorer in the tournament's history with 125 goals. He will be hoping to add to that tally before he retires.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo- 17
Cristiano Ronaldo is certainly the king of the Champions League, given his marvelous goal-scoring record in the competition. The Portuguese forward has scored the most number of goals (140) in the tournament and won the competition five times.
So it is no coincidence that he is at the top of this list. The striker has performed brilliantly for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus but his gloriest days at UCL have come with the Spanish side. He won the competition four times with them, including three consecutive wins between 2016 and 2018.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has won the Golden Boot in the competition on seven occasions. He has scored more than 10 UCL goals in a single season five times.
A living legend, Ronaldo is slowing down but has not lost the goal-scoring touch that has made him so famous in the competition. He scored six goals in seven games in the Champions League this season before being eliminated by Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16.
