Liverpool Star Joins Exclusive Club After Equalling Champions League Record in Man City Demolition
Liverpool midfielder James Milner joined an exclusive club with only Neymar and Wayne Rooney during Wednesday's thumping 3-0 over Manchester City when he equalled the Champions League assist record for a single season.
Milner provided the pass to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to smash home Liverpool's second goal of the night in what was a hotly anticipated quarter final first leg.
Including qualifiers, that was the 32-year-old's eighth assist in the Champions League season, matching Neymar's assist tally for Barcelona in 2016/17 and Rooney's for Manchester United in 2013/14, UEFA have reported.
What is more impressive is that while Neymar and Rooney each bagged eight assists in 765 and 797 minutes of action respectively, Milner has produced the same number in 452 minutes.
His first European assist of 2017/18 came back in August when he appeared as a substitute in the playoff round first leg against Hoffenheim.
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Milner was then left out of Liverpool's first two group games, providing his next assist on matchday three in a 7-0 thrashing of Maribor in Slovenia. He got his third in the very next game when the Reds beat the same opposition 3-0 at Anfield, before managing a hat-trick of assists in just 45 minutes of the final group fixture against Spartak Moscow, another 7-0 win.
He further assisted one of the goals in the 5-0 demolition of Porto in the Last 16 first leg, with his eight assist of the competition coming this week against City as mentioned.
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His tally of eight not only matches Neymar and Rooney, but also betters Ryan Giggs from the 2006/07 campaign, Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2012/13 and Xavi in 2008/09.
Milner will have the chance to set a new record in his own right when Liverpool make the short trip to the Etihad Stadium for the return leg next week. There will also be further opportunity in two semi final legs assuming Liverpool hold on to their healthy aggregate lead.
