After fielding the youngest ever team in Champions League history, our 2-0 win over Benfica featured so many incredible stories as we leapt to the top of the table in our group.
We have compiled a few fascinating facts on our spectacular away win in Lisbon here.
#1 | A historic win
- Just hours after our thrilling Youth League tie, we once again made shockwaves in Europe for our youthful verve. Our starting XI yesterday evening had an average age of 21 years and 183 days - the youngest since the UEFA Champions League started in 1992. We beat Arsenal, whose side against Olympiakos on 9 December 2009 had an average age of 21 years and 215 days.
#2 | Young guns
- None of our last 20 Champions League goals have been scored by a player over the age of 23.
#3 | Oscar Gloukh sets Israeli record
- Oscar Gloukh (19 years and 172 days old) is the youngest Israeli to score in the Champions League - beating Manor Solomon (20 yards and 69 days for Shakhtar Donetsk v Atalanta Bergamo in October 2019).
#4 | The run continues
- We have eight wins and one draw so far this season. Going back to last season, we are unbeaten in 23 games now (17 wins and 6 draw).
#5 | Ex-Coach not so happy to see us
- Our former coach and current Benfica supremo Roger Schmidt suffered his first defeat in his 15th Champions League group stage match (6 wins and 8 draws).
#6 | Keeping the Austrian flag flying
- It is Benfica's first defeat in their ninth European encounter with an Austrian side (previously five wins and three draws).
#7 | Away hoodoo over
- Hundreds of fans came from Salzburg to support us again, which makes us even happier to give them a win to cherish. Our last European away victory came in August 2021 with a 2-1 win at Bröndby in UEFA Champions League qualifying.
#8 | Schlager & Co stop everything!
- Your Man of the Match, Alexander Schlager, has never needed to make more saves so far this season. Our defence in front of him gave everything to keep the clean sheet. We therefore kept the opposition out for the first time since August 2018 (a goalless draw against Red Star Belgrade)!
#9 | Goals by the double
- For the first time since October 2021, we scored at least twice in a UEFA Champions League match. Since our 3-1 win over Wolfsburg, we have had 11 Champions League games with one goal each.
Anyone not yet looking forward to our first Champions League home match on Tuesday 3 October against Real Sociedad is surely doing so now! Tickets are available in three-match packages, and open sales have already started.
