Perfect record and milestones

5 facts on the Champions League game against Benfica

Having started the campaign with three wins from three, Bayern can book their place in the Champions League knockout stage with games to spare when they welcome Benfica to the Allianz Arena on Tuesday (21:00 CET). Find out what stats and facts you need to know ahead of this fourth match in Group E.

1. Bayern’s best-ever start

Nine points, 12 goals scored and none conceded is Bayern’s best record ever after three group games in the Champions League. The only other teams to get off to such a good start since the competition was rebranded in 1992/93 are Paris Saint-Germain in 2017/18 (three wins, 12-0 goals), Barcelona in 2016/17 (13-1) and Arsenal in 2010/11.

211020_SLBFCB_12_DON — Bayern’s 4-0 win away at Benfica was their third in three Champions League games to get them off to a perfect start this season.

2. Still unbeaten against Benfica

Germany’s record champions have faced their Portuguese counterparts 11 times in competitive action, with Bayern winning eight of those. The other three were draws. There’s no other team FCB have faced so many times in Europe without ever losing. The Munich side have scored 30 goals in those meetings, which works out a 2.7 per game.

3. FCB’s long unbeaten run in the groups

Bayern have gone 25 games in the group stage of the Champions League without defeat (W22, D3,) which is the club’s best run since the competition took on its current format in 2003/04. At the Allianz Arena, it’s 22 group outings since the start of 2014/15 where the Munich side haven’t lost (W21, D1).

4. Milestones for Lewandowski and Müller

211023_M%C3%BCller_Lewandowski_IMA — Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Müller have had plenty of reasons to celebrate in the Champions League, and there could be more for the pair on Tuesday with some personal milestones.

Robert Lewandowski is in line to make his 100th Champions League appearance if he features against Benfica. The Polish striker has scored 78 times in the competition, which is already a record for a player in their first 100 appearances. Teammate Thomas Müller is on 49 Champions League goals. One more would take him level with Thierry Henry in seventh place on the competition’s all-time scoring chart.

5. Struggles on travels

Benfica have gone six Champions League games away from home without winning (D2, L4) since beating AEK Athens 3-2 in Greece in October 2018. That victory was also their only one in their last 12 matches away from Lisbon in the competition (D3, L8).

Benfica suffered a late setback in the league ahead of visiting Munich: