Real Madrid have become the first club to score 1,000 goals in the history of the European Cup and Champions League thanks to Karim Benzema’s opener against Shakthar Donetsk.
Real were on 999 goals in Europe’s premier club competition prior to the visit of the Ukrainian side to the Bernabeu. Benzema struck just 14 minutes into the contest for Los Blancos to achieve the enormous milestone, the 74th Champions League goal of his own career.
The goal came when Vinicius Junior stole the ball in Shakhtar’s penalty are and fed Benzema for an easy tap-in just a few yards out.
Real are synonymous with the European Cup and Champions League more than any other club.
They won the first five in a row following its launch in the autumn of 1955, with a legendary side featuring the likes of Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas and Paco Gento.
Real also lifted further trophies in 1966, 1998, 2000 and 2002, the latter secured by an iconic volley from Zinedine Zidane at Hampden Park.
The elusive Decima eventually came in 2014 under the guidance of Carlo Ancelotti, with Real crushing city rivals Atletico in extra-time.
Real were again European champions in 2016, going on to become the first and still only club in the Champions League era to retain the title when they won it again in 2017. That became a hat-trick of titles in 2018, the first European Cup ‘three-peat’ since Bayern Munich in the 1970s.
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