Football, just like every other sport, goes far beyond numbers and stats. However, sometimes there are awkwardness and some charming equalities in those stats that attract our attention. Just like that latest one, revealed only a day before the next season of the UEFA Champions League kicks off.Germany or Spain, it doesn’t matter – Lewa scoresSeasons change, governments get overthrown, rivers dry – but Karim Benzema keeps killing itIt’s a rare coincidence that two spectacular forwards share the exact same numbers in this popular competition. Both Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema and Barcelona’s new signing Robert Lewandowski have collected entirely equal numbers in the UCL: 86 goals scored56 goals scored in a group stage30 goals scored in a knockout phaseJust amazing! Lewa – then BVB striker – scored his first Champions League goal in a 1–3 away defeat to Olympiacos on 19 October 2011. Benzema, on the other hand, netted for the first time back on 6 December 2005, on his UCL debut in a 2-1 win against Rosenborg. Lewa breaks his goalscoring duck against Sevilla as Barca stroll through AndalusiaAlbeit the Frenchman obviously had much more time than the Poll on the biggest stage, his most fruitful UCL years are those last few at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, especially after Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid and provided him with the space and opportunity to demonstrate all of his skills.’Benzema should win Ballon d’Or’The latter will have a chance to shine once more on Tuesday night, as the Royals face Celtic away in one of the most interesting fixtures of the UCL opening night. ##EDITORS_CHOICE##The former will have a much easier job on prospect as Barselona meet with the underdogs Plzen at Camp Nou on Wednesday night. One thing is for sure – that amazing goal-scoring race between the two veterans will make a next giant step towards the eternity.UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 1Tuesday 19.45: (7.00) Dinamo Zagreb (4.30) Chelsea (1.53)19.45: (1.35) Dortmund (5.60) Copenhagen (9.00)22.00: (3.50) Salzburg (3.50) Milan (2.20)22.00: (5.90) Celtic (4.10) Real Madrid (1.63)22.00: (1.22) RB Leipzig (6.50) Shakhtar (13.0)22.00: (9.00) Sevilla (4.90) Man.City (1.40)22.00: (1.25) Benfica (6.75) Maccabi Haifa (13.0)22.00: (1.40) PSG (5.30) Juventus (8.00)Wednesday 19.45: (1.50) Ajax (4.60) Rangers (7.00)19.45: (2.25) Eintr.Frankfurt (3.50) Sporting (3.35)22.00: (3.80) Napoli (3.60) Liverpool (2.05)22.00: (1.85) Atl.Madrid (3.50) Porto (5.00)22.00: (3.40) Club Brugge (3.60) Leverkusen (2.20)22.00: (1.07) Barcelona (15.0) Plzen (35.0)22.00: (4.10) Inter (3.80) Bayern (1.92)22.00: (1.53) Tottenham (4.30) Olympique Marseille (7.00)***odds are subject to change
