Brilliant Ronaldo sets new Champions League goal record

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 15th and 16th UEFA Champions League goal of the season at FC Bayern München, setting a new record for a single European Cup campaign.

Cristiano Ronaldo has surpassed the goal total for a single UEFA Champions League season, with his strikes in Real Madrid’s semi-final second leg at FC Bayern München taking his campaign tally to 16 so far.

The Portuguese international entered the last four with 14 goals in this season’s competition, level with the record held by his FC Barcelona counterpart Lionel Messi.

Ronaldo had equaled Messi and, simultaneously, ex-AC Milan forward José Altafini’s 51-year European Cup record – in the quarter-final first leg against Borussia Dortmund.

An incredible group stage performance laid the foundations for his achievement.

An opening-day hat-trick against Galatasaray was an ominous portent for Ronaldo’s Group B opponents, and the 29-year-old added doubles against FC Kobenhavn and Juventus.

Ronaldo struck nine times in all, breaking the eight-goal group stage record owned jointly by Ruud van Nistelrooy (2004/05), Filippo Inzaghi and Hernán Crespo (both 2002/03) – and Zlatan Ibrahimović, who equalled the feat on matchday five this term.

The irrepressible Ronaldo then almost single-handedly dispatched FC Schalke 04 with a brace in each leg of their round of 16 contest, before another landmark strike against Dortmund, against whom he had registered his 50th UEFA Champions League goal in the semi-finals last year.

Ronaldo ultimately upstaged Messi in the scoring stakes last season for the first time in five campaigns – both players are closing fast on the all-time benchmark of 71 set by Raúl González. with Messi on 67, one more than Ronaldo.

With these 16 goals Cristiano Ronaldo, who will have the opportunity to amplify this number in the final in Lisbon on 24 May.

UEFA Champions League leading scorers season by season

Player                                     Season                Goals

Cristiano Ronaldo                   2013-14                 16

Lionel Messi                           2011-12                  14

Mario Gomez                          2011-12                 12

Lionel Messi                           2010-11                  12

Cristiano Ronaldo                 2012-13                  12