Neymar Reaches UCL Scoring Landmark
Neymar becomes the first player to score 20 Champions League goals for two different clubs
Neymar became the first player to score 20 goals for two different clubs in the Champions League as he starred in Paris Saint-Germain's 5-1 rout of Istanbul Basaksehir.
The 28-year-old scored a hat-trick, with Kylian Mbappe helping himself to a brace – at 21 years and 11 months, the France star is now the youngest player to reach 20 goals in the Champions League, taking that record off Lionel Messi.
In a fixture pushed back a day due to allegations the initial fourth official Sebastian Coltescu had exposed Basaksehir assistant Pierre Webo to racist language, Neymar had a part in all five of PSG's goals and put six of his seven attempts on target.
Neymar's opener was a sublime effort, curled into the top-right corner, with Brazil's poster boy doubling his tally when he squeezed a strike beyond Fehmi Mert Gunok.
His third was a stunning shot from 20 yards out, and it brought up his 20th Champions League goal with PSG, one shy of the total he managed across his four seasons with Barcelona, where he won UEFA's elite club competition in 2014-15.
Neymar is the fourth fastest player to reach 40 goals in the Champions League, having taken 65 games.
He is behind Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski (both 61) and former Real Madrid and Manchester United star Ruud van Nistelrooy, who achieved the feat in a remarkable 45 matches.
PSG's number 10 has netted three hat-tricks in the Champions League, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, with the pair having scored a trio of goals on eight occasions.
Only Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have scored more times for PSG in the competition, while Neymar has been directly involved in 65 goals.
With United having lost to RB Leipzig on Tuesday, PSG were already sure of their place in the last 16, and will now head into the knockout stage as Group H winners.
