Joel Richards 

Before its enforced hiatus, Europe’s premier competition had already produced a number of memorable highlights this season.

But the biggest story without a doubt has been Atalanta’s unexpected march to the Quarter-Finals. Their 8-4 thrashing over two legs in the Round of 16 against Valencia took them into unchartered territory, but what makes their journey even more incredible was how it began.

Placed in Group C alongside Manchester City, Dinamo Zagreb and Shakhtar Donetsk, La Dea failed to win any of their opening four games and conceded 12 goals in the process. An early exit was surely on the cards? However, a 2-0 win on matchday five over Dinamo Zagreb was followed by a comprehensive 3-0 success away to Shakhtar Donetsk to seal an unlikely progression to the knockout stages. 

Only fellow Italians Juventus in 1998-99 could top that feat. Having drawn their first five group games, Juve reached the Semi-Finals where they lost to eventual winners Manchester United. Remarkably, Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan drew their opening three games before winning the Champions League in 2010, and Tottenham Hotspur reached last season’s final having lost two of their opening three fixtures.

It’s also fair to say Atalanta’s games have provided much entertainment and plenty of goals. In total, 32 goals from matches involving Gian Piero Gasperini’s side have contributed to the 344 goals scored.

This has meant an average of 3.19 goals scored per game, only in 2017-18 has the Champions League had a higher ratio (3.21) and although there’s been plenty of high-scoring contests, the most in one game came on matchday two as Bayern Munich humiliated Tottenham 7-2 on their own patch. 

Serge Gnabry may have stolen the headlines that night with his four-goal display, but Robert Lewandowski’s brace helped towards the Pole’s incredible tally of 11 goals that make him the competition’s top-scorer this season.

What’s also astonishing is Lewandowski has already posted his best return for a Champions League campaign:

Robert Lewandowski    Apps    Goals
2011/2012    6     1
2012/2013    13   10
2013/2014    9     6
2014/2015    12   6
2015/2016    12   9
2016/2017    9     8
2017/2018    11   5
2018/2019    8     8
2019/2020    6    11

Whether the Bayern frontman will get to add to this remarkable tally remains to be seen, but it is clear evidence of Lewandowski’s status as one of Europe’s most deadly forwards.

Which brings us to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi… Surprisingly both men contributed only two goals apiece before the suspension of all football to the COVID-19 pandemic. Is it the beginning of the end for the greatest of their generation?