Vinicius Junior's recent performances has earned him a remarkable feat, as he now shares Lionel Messi's record of 12 assists in the Champions League knockout stages.
The Argentine achieved this milestone over 17 years (77 games), starting from his first UCL knockout appearance for Barcelona in 2006.
In contrast, the Real Madrid winger reached the same number of assists in just five years (22 games), starting from his debut against Ajax in 2019 and culminating with a brace of assists against Manchester City on Tuesday.
While there's still a significant gap in terms of goals scored between the two, Vinicius's quick ascent to this record highlights his burgeoning playmaking abilities.
It's high time we appreciate his contributions on the pitch more.
