Manchester Metropolis legend Kevin De Bruyne moved as much as fifth within the Champions League’s all-time assists rating final evening – however may he in the future take Cristiano Ronaldo’s crown and declare the report outright?
The era-defining Belgian playmaker has continued his love affair with European soccer’s most prestigious cup competitors after departing Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Manchester Metropolis in the summertime.
Whereas he reportedly had profitable affords from MLS and Saudi Professional League golf equipment on the desk, De Bruyne has been eager to show he nonetheless belongs on the elite European degree with a transfer to the reigning Serie A champions Napoli.
After Thomas Muller and Angel Di Maria waved goodbye to European soccer on the finish of final season, shifting to Vancouver Whitecaps and Rosario Central respectively, De Bruyne is the one participant within the Champions League’s all-time high 10 assist-providers taking part in on this yr’s competitors.
Destiny conspired to see him return to the Etihad on his Champions League debut for Napoli, nevertheless it didn’t fairly go as deliberate.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s pink card towards Metropolis pressured Antonio Conte right into a tactical tweak, sacrificing De Bruyne within the early levels in Manchester. Napoli went on to lose 2-0.
However De Bruyne provided a reminder of his artistic brilliance on his Champions League residence debut on the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. He notched two assists of their 2-1 victory over Sporting, each objectives scored by Manchester United loanee Rasmus Hojlund.
“Kevin is a legend of the game,” Hojlund stated.
“For me, it’s simply each time he has the ball, go discover some area. I’m so grateful to play with a participant like this.”
De Bruyne returned the praise afterwards, praising the Denmark worldwide and evaluating him to his record-breaking former Man Metropolis team-mate
“I used to be making an attempt to get into that area for the primary aim and was ready for the precise second to cross it to Rasmus, fortunately he did the remainder,” he informed Corriere dello Sport.
“I feel Rasmus is rising quite a bit and is similar to [Erling] Haaland.”
De Bruyne’s pair of assists take him to a grand complete of 31 within the Champions League’s all-time rankings.
He’s simply moved forward of legendary midfielders Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez, drawing degree with Manchester United icon Ryan Giggs in fifth place.
Neymar, in fourth place, is just two forward of De Bruyne. With no less than six extra league section video games to go, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him overtake the Brazilian within the coming weeks.
However what in regards to the names on the high of the record? We’ve taken a better look to see how possible De Bruyne is to claiming the report outright.
Can De Bruyne surpass Messi and Ronaldo’s Champions League assists information?
Lionel Messi stands third within the Champions League’s all-time help rating with 40.
His shut pal and long-time Argentina team-mate Di Maria stands second with 41.
Ronaldo nonetheless holds the report outright, simply, with 42 Champions League assists for Manchester United, Actual Madrid and Juventus. That’s some going contemplating he additionally boasts the all-time goalscoring report.
Given he simply bought two in a single sport, it’s straightforward to think about De Bruyne getting no less than three extra assists this season to overhaul Neymar, however 10 surpass Messi, 11 to surpass Di Maria and 12 to assert Ronaldo’s crown is a much bigger ask.
It’s a colossal ask to do it this season, in truth.
Hitting double figures for assists in a Champions League marketing campaign may not sound that tough, however it’s.
In truth, it’s actually by no means been accomplished.
Luis Figo, for Barcelona in 1999-00 (the yr he gained the Ballon d’Or) nonetheless holds the report for essentially the most assists in a single Champions League marketing campaign with 9.
Not one of the runaway high three – Ronaldo, Di Maria and Messi – ever notched greater than six assists in a single season. Their locations on the high are extra all the way down to their longevity.
De Bruyne’s greatest assists tally in a Champions League marketing campaign was six in 2022-23 – and that was going all the best way to lifting the trophy.
Since then, over the course of his closing two injury-laden years with Metropolis, De Bruyne managed only one Champions League help.
It wouldn’t be a significant shock to see that single-season report fall within the coming years, given the enlargement of the match.
Final season Raphinha got here inside a whisker of breaking Ronaldo’s report for essentially the most mixed objectives and assists in a single marketing campaign. He notched eight assists, only one off Figo’s report, and 13 objectives.
With two additional video games within the league section, plus the potential of an additional double-legged knockout play-off sport, it’s not unthinkable that De Bruyne pushes for double figures this season.
However claiming 12 extra assists on high of the 2 he’s already notched is unquestionably an unrealistic ask. Even for a participant of De Bruyne’s high quality.
For those who assume greater image, it may definitely occur earlier than De Bruyne hangs up his boots. He signed a two-year take care of Napoli, that means he’d solely want six extra assists this season and 6 subsequent yr to assert the report.
De Bruyne additionally reportedly has the choice of extending his contract for yet one more yr, into 2027-28. That may imply he’d solely must common 4 assists over every of the following three seasons. That sounds eminently doable, proper?
He’d be 38 after three extra seasons. At that time we will think about he’d retire or take a well-paid job within the Center East, however you by no means know. Take a look at Luka Modric, nonetheless shining for AC Milan on the age of 40.
To summarise, Ronaldo can breathe a sigh of reduction that his report ought to be protected for an additional yr. However it may not be in a season or two…
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