Cristiano Ronaldo scored his sixth Champions League goal in just five appearances this season in Manchester United‘s 2-0 victory over Villarreal last night.
The Portuguese icon has almost single-handedly guided United into the round of 16 with his goalscoring form.
He scored the winning goals in Red Devils home victories over Atalanta and Villarreal. Additionally, in the reverse fixture against the Italian side in Bergamo, Ronaldo’s 91st-minute strike in a 2-2 draw rescued a point.
His goal against Villarreal last night – an exquisite lob from the edge of the area – was spectacular.
Cristiano Ronaldo UCL xG stats
Cristiano Ronaldo’s superb performances in this season’s Champions League have been yet further underlined by his expected goals (xG) statistics.
Football fans worldwide know Ronaldo as an expert finisher, capable of scoring goals from anywhere inside the area when given the opportunity.
That’s why the 36-year-old has 140 Champions League goals. Indeed, that is more than any other player in the history of the competition.
Ronaldo’s stats have been typically exceptional this term. According to The xG Philosophy, his opportunities in this season’s competition would be expected to yield 2.93 goals.
How do other players compare to Ronaldo?
The top goalscorer in this year’s Champions League is Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski. The Pole has nine goals to his name from five appearances thus far. According to the statistics website FBRef, Lewandowski has an expected goals figure of 6.0.
Behind him is Ajax’s Sebastien Haller. The forward is expected to have scored 5.6 goals by this stage, whereas he has scored eight in actuality.
Finally, Karim Benzema, Mohamed Salah and Karim Adeyemi share third place, with 3.7 expected goals.
Out of the trio, Salah has top-scored with five goals. On the other hand, Benzema has four strikes. Adeyemi, meanwhile, has scored three times for RB Salzburg.
Featured Image Credit: Getty
