Women’s Champions League all-time top scorers

The Women’s Champions League is the showcase for the finest players in European football and beyond.

The competition first kicked off in 2001, and over the past two decades some of the game’s greatest goal getters have graced the competition. Question is, who are the ones who have shined brightest and found the back of the net most?

Without further ado, here are the players who top the all-time Women’s Champions League goalscoring charts.

Grings was a goalscoring icon for club and countryGrings was a goalscoring icon for club and country
Grings was a goalscoring icon for club and country | Boris Streubel/Getty Images

One half of Germany’s fearsome noughties strike partnership with Birgit Prinz, Inka Grings’ spent the majority of her career being incredibly loyal to her first senior side Duisburg. She joined the club as a teenager in 1995, and as a result did not play Champions League football until Duisburg made their European bow in the 2008/09 season – aged 30.

Despite this, Grings still netted 38 Champions League goals in just 29 appearances. She never won the competition, but was the tournament’s top scorer during the 2010/11 season.

Ljungberg spent her entire career in SwedenLjungberg spent her entire career in Sweden
Ljungberg spent her entire career in Sweden | Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Former Sweden international Hanna Ljungberg was an integral part of the Umea side that reached five Champions League finals in the space of seven years – being crowned champions of Europe on two occasions.

She topped the goalscoring charts during Umea’s 2002/03 Champions League triumph and was the competition’s all-time top scorer for a decade despite her career constantly being disrupted and ultimately ended by injury. A ruptured ACL forced her to call it quits at the age of 30.

Burger only played in the Champions League quarter finals once, but is still the competition's eighth top scorerBurger only played in the Champions League quarter finals once, but is still the competition's eighth top scorer
Burger only played in the Champions League quarter finals once, but is still the competition’s eighth top scorer | Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images

Austrian forward Nina Burger became the first player to net 40 Champions League goals with a single club, reaching the tally across two spells with Austrian outfit Neulengbach.

She boasted a mean strike partnership with compatriot Maria Gstottner, and the forward reached her 40-goal haul despite Neulengbach only progressing further than the last 16 on one occasion.

Schelin is a three-time Champions League winnerSchelin is a three-time Champions League winner
Schelin is a three-time Champions League winner | AFP/Getty Images

Sweden’s all-time top scorer Lotta Schelin rejected offers from the United States to join Lyon in 2008, and she would go on to score 41 European goals and win a hat-trick of Champions League titles with the French side.

After scoring 225 goals in 225 appearances for Lyon, Schelin returned to her native Sweden for the final two years of her career. She signed for Rosengard and netted one final Champions League goal in the 2016/17 competition.

Abily was integral to Lyon's prolonged successAbily was integral to Lyon's prolonged success
Abily was integral to Lyon’s prolonged success | ADRIAN DENNIS/Getty Images

Despite spending much of her career in midfield, Camille Abily still netted a full 43 Champions League goals during her time with Montpellier and two spells with Lyon. She was the joint top scorer in the 2011/12 competition alongside teammate Eugenie Le Sommer with nine goals.

The former France international netted her 43rd goal in the competition from the bench in the 2017/18 final victory over Wolfsburg to seal her fifth Champions League title.

Marta is a bit of an iconMarta is a bit of an icon
Marta is a bit of an icon | Simon Hofmann/Getty Images

Brazilian icon Marta burst onto the Champions scene as an 18-year-old at Umea, netting in both legs of the 2003/04 semi final, and another three across the two-legged final victory over Frankfurt.

This would be the first and only time that Marta would lift the famous trophy. She was a beaten finalist in 2007 and 2008 with Umea, and then again in 2014 with fellow Swedish outfit Tyreso. The forward’s 46 Champions League goals have come despite her playing over half of her career outside of Europe.

Le Sommer is no stranger to Champions League successLe Sommer is no stranger to Champions League success
Le Sommer is no stranger to Champions League success | Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Lyon have royally dominated European football for the last decade, winning the Champions League seven times in 10 years.

Eugenie Le Sommer has been present for each triumph, having joined the club from Stade Briochin in 2010. The versatile French attacking midfielder has scored in three finals – including the opening goal in Lyon’s most recent triumph over Wolfsburg in the 2019/20 competition. Still playing at the highest level, Le Sommer has a Champions League half century in her sights.

Pohlers retired in 2014 as a four-time Champions League winnerPohlers retired in 2014 as a four-time Champions League winner
Pohlers retired in 2014 as a four-time Champions League winner | Jan Kruger/Getty Images

World Cup winner Conny Pohlers’ tally of 14 goals in the 2004/05 season en route to Turbine Potsdam winning the competition stood as a Women’s Champions League record goalscoring haul in a single campaign for 13 years.

The German forward is a four-time Champions League winner, netting three goals in the 2008 final for Frankfurt and collecting successive winners medals with Wolfsburg in the final two seasons of her career in 2013 and 2014. She reached her tally of 48 goals in just 45 appearances.

Mittag played in Sweden, Germany and FranceMittag played in Sweden, Germany and France
Mittag played in Sweden, Germany and France | Alex Caparros/Getty Images

World Cup winner Anja Mittag became the first player in Women’s Champions League history to net half a century of goals in the competition when she found the net for Rosengard in the 2018/19 competition.

The German forward is a two-time Champions League winner with Turbine Potsdam, netting in the 2005 final, and hung up her boots at the end of the 2019/20 season to focus on her coaching career.

Hegerberg was the hat-trick hero in the 2018/19 finalHegerberg was the hat-trick hero in the 2018/19 final
Hegerberg was the hat-trick hero in the 2018/19 final | Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images

This takes the mickey a little bit, doesn’t it? The current Women’s Champions League top scorer is just 25, already has five Champions League winners medals and at the rate she’s going could well set an unassailable goal haul in the competition.

Norway’s Ada Hegerberg has netted her 53 Champions League goals in just 50 appearances. The forward hit a treble in the 2018/19 final, and has topped the competition’s scoring charts in 2015/16 and 2018/19. Her tally of 15 goals in a single season during the latter season’s competition is a Women’s Champions League record.

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Leicester must quickly get over Manchester City defeat ahead of season defining games

Leicester City have made a habit of defying the odds in their recent history.

For once though, their game against Manchester City on Saturday went exactly as expected, with the Foxes slumping to a 2-0 defeat.

In truth, the visitors’ winning margin could and perhaps should have been more as well. In the first half alone Kevin de Bruyne struck the bar with a wicked free kick and Riyad Mahrez was denied a goal against his former club by Kasper Schmeichel’s right boot.

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As well as having the better chances, City also enjoyed periods of comic dominance, not giving Leicester a single touch during one particularly jarring five minute spell. The biggest problem of all for the home side was their lack of efficiency in possession, though.

In their 5-2 victory in the return fixture back in September, they barely wasted a touch, enjoying just 28% possession and registering seven attempts on goal. This ruthlessness was sorely lacking on Sunday with usual tempo setters Wilfred Ndidi and Youri Tielemans visibly drained following an intense international break.

Ayoze Perez – operating as the link between midfield and striker pairing Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy – did the best he could with his meagre time on the ball, but with the Spaniard starved of service, feeding the front two on the counter proved difficult.

James Maddison, Kelechi IheanachoJames Maddison, Kelechi Iheanacho
In form Iheanacho could not get into the game | Pool/Getty Images

Of course, there were a few extenuating circumstances that help explain Leicester’s ropey display. The lack of preparation time due to the international break would be bad news against any side, but it was particularly damaging on Saturday as City are such a tactically demanding team to play against.

The late withdrawal of star centre-back Caglar Soyuncu, who continues to self-isolate in Turkey following a positive coronavirus test, was also an irritation. While his replacement Daniel Amartey was solid enough defensively, Soyuncu’s assertiveness and contribution in possession was lost.

Although the result was disappointing, its impact on Leicester’s season could be confined to a footnote if the Foxes can bounce back in the two potentially season defining games to come.

The first of these is against West Ham, another team who have defied expectations this season. Depending on how the Hammers’ trip to Wolves goes on Monday, the pair could go into the game separated by as little as four points and one place.

Last time they met, David Moyes’ side ‘did a Leicester’ on their opponents, registering 30% possession but still coming out well deserved 3-0 winners. It was Rodgers’ side’s worst result and performance of the season and they must avoid a repeat of it on Saturday with the race for the European places heating up to Scotch bonnet levels.

The return of James Maddison – who enjoyed a brief and rusty cameo on Saturday – to the starting lineup could be crucial in turning the tide in Leicester’s favour. West Ham’s stubborn defensive shape is notoriously hard to penetrate and Maddison’s ability to break the lines with both his passing and dribbling will be an invaluable asset.

James MaddisonJames Maddison
Maddison’s return from injury is a real boost for Leicester | Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images

After facing the Hammers, Leicester set their sat nav for Wembley for their FA Cup semi-final against Southampton. Perhaps the only thing that has been missing from Rodgers’ footballing revolution has been a piece of silverware. The club’s first ever FA Cup triumph would represent exactly that and as they have already beaten the Saints once this campaign, confidence will be high.

Wins in each of their next two games would represent a statement of intent from Leicester. It would be a positive step in challenging the ‘bottlers’ narrative and set them up perfectly for what is set to be a truly mad climax to the season.

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Anthony Martial could miss rest of 2020/21 season with knee injury

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed that Anthony Martial sprained his knee on international duty with France, and could be ruled out for the remainder of the 2020/21 season.

The Red Devils’ number nine had joined up with Les Blues for their trio of World Cup qualifiers at the end of March, but manager Didier Deschamps was forced to withdraw Martial during the 2-0 win over Kazakhstan.

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Martial was on international duty with France when he picked up the injury | FRANCK FIFE/Getty Images

It wasn’t known how serious Martial’s injury was, but Solskjaer – speaking to MUTV before United’s Premier League clash with Brighton – has confirmed he could miss the remainder of the domestic campaign.

“Unfortunately, he sprained his knee with France. It’s always when they go away on internationals… you can keep your fingers crossed and hope they come back fit,” Solskjaer told MUTV, quoted by the club’s official website.

“Paul has played in all three games, 30, 60, 90 minutes, so that was a boost for us. Losing Anthony for what might be the rest of the season is very disappointing, especially when the reports & signals are from there that it’s wasn’t (anything) serious but it looks a bad one, yeah”.

Martial hasn’t been in the best goalscoring form for Manchester United, netting just four Premier League goals in 22 appearances to date. He’s often been rotated for Edinson Cavani, who joined the club on a free transfer last summer, and has completed a full 90 minutes just six times.

Anthony MartialAnthony Martial
2020/21 has been frustrating on the whole for Martial | Soccrates Images/Getty Images

Despite his lacklustre goal record, which marks a significant drop off from the 17 Premier League goals he netted in 2019/20, Martial had a decent chance of going to this summer’s European Championship with France, evidenced by his call-up for their recent qualifiers.

He likely wouldn’t have been a regular starter, owing to the continued good form on the international stage of Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann, but nine appearances for his country since the beginning of 2020 suggests Deschamps has plenty of faith in his ability.

There is no confirmed timeframe for his absence, and it’s too early to say whether Martial will definitely be ruled out of the Euros. But it does appear that Solskjaer has resigned himself to losing the 25-year-old for the remainder of the Premier League season, increasing the pressure on Cavani, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood to help supplement the goals regularly provided by Bruno Fernandes.

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The 5 minutes of magic that magnify Tottenham’s endless frustrations

From Hugo Lloris scooping the ball out of his net on 28 minutes, to Harry Kane rifling home his second goal of the game on 34 minutes, Tottenham Hotspur were playing like a top four team.

The travelling side constantly fed the ball into the feet of Tanguy Ndombele, and the Frenchman dodged tackles and charged forward with a burning drive to penetrate the backline.

Spurs’ full-backs flew up and down the flanks, desperate to get into position to ping a cross into the box from an overlap, and Kane hovered in the danger zone, waiting for his moment to strike.

In those five and a bit minutes, Spurs found the back of the net on two occasions, the first with a stroke of fortune, and the second through some stunning buildup play. Kane was on the end of both chances, showing exactly why he is the best striker in the Premier League, and why he deserves to be playing in the Champions League on an annual basis.

The chemistry between Kane and Ndombele was glorious to witness, with the former Lyon midfielder relentlessly popping up in space to try and slide a clever ball through the defence and into the path of the hungry England captain.

The weight of the pass to assist Kane for the second was a thing of beauty, as was the striker’s first touch and deadly finish.

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He deserves better | STU FORSTER/Getty Images

For six minutes, Spurs played like a team capable of undoing the very best in the league. They demonstrated they can be adventurous, exciting and creative, and boasts connections between players which should be capable of blowing other teams away.

So why didn’t we see that spirit after Kane found the net for the second time on Sunday afternoon?

Tottenham visibly retreated back into their shell after taking a 2-1 lead against Newcastle Untied, and returned to their previous tactic of attempting (and failing) to frustrate their opponents by inviting pressure and sitting deep.

Frankly, that is a criminal system to deploy against a team as vulnerable and low on confidence as the Magpies, and those tactics are even more bizarre when considering the personnel in Spurs’ backline.

If you’re looking to soak up pressure and frustrate opponents with a solid rearguard display, Davinson Sanchez is not the man you want at the heart of your backline. The Colombian centre-back has the potential to be a top defender, but the way Mourinho plays football merely exposes all of the flaws in his game.

And considering the lack of success this tactic has enjoyed over the course of the season, a more flexible manager would probably think about mixing it up a bit, particularly against one of the worst teams in the league.

So, if ever there was a day to explode out of the traps and kill a game inside half an hour, it was this one. Yet, at one point during the first half, Newcastle had managed 15 shots, and Spurs had only mustered four.

Harry KaneHarry Kane
Another bitterly disappointing result | Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images

For once, Steve Bruce’s men were good value for a Premier League point, and could argue that they were more deserving of all three. The hosts ended the game with 19 attempts on goal, while Mourinho’s men combined to boast 11 shots.

The Magpies even reached an expected goals (xG, for you millennials) tally north of 4 – the third highest total of any team this season.

Tottenham were so bad, they made Bruce’s Newcastle look like a good, fully-functioning and exciting football team – and there can be no more damning conclusion than that.

The frustrating truth is, that Spurs did have less shots on target, less shots off targets and less blocked shots than the fourth-worst team in the Premier League, and yet they still scored two well-worked goals.

Jose MourinhoJose Mourinho
Stifling a yawn, perhaps | Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images

That’s because this team is packed with incredible attacking talent, and midfielders who love carving out chances and providing for one of the best strikers in world football. There is enough quality in this squad to comfortably finish in the top four, despite what Mourinho will tell you.

Right now, attack has to be the best form of defence for Tottenham, and if Mourinho is too ignorant to acknowledge that, then Daniel Levy must wonder what on earth he has let himself in for in north London.

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Who will win Ligue 1?

We haven’t seen a Ligue 1 title race like this in a long time.

France has been Paris Saint-Germain’s playground for a while now, but not only are Mauricio Pochettino’s side facing an uphill battle to retain their crown, but there are three other sides vying for the ultimate glory.

With seven games left to play, it’s all still up in the air – so it’s only right to take a look at each side’s run-in and see who is favourite to come out on top.

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Lille have a lead at the top | FRANCOIS LO PRESTI/Getty Images

Remaining fixtures:

Metz vs Lille (09/04)
Lille vs Montpellier (16/04)
Lyon vs Lille (25/04)
Lille vs Nice (02/05)
Lens vs Lille (09/05)
Saint-Etienne vs Lille (16/05)
Lille vs Angers (23/05)

Lille have it all in their hands after beating PSG, but that away trip to Lyon is huge. It’s easily the toughest test on the calendar for Lille, who must also travel to fifth-placed Lens and host seventh-placed Montpellier.

Les Dogues’ fixture list is actually quite a tough one. Saint-Etienne and 11th-placed Nice are their only remaining opponents in the bottom half of the table, so there are plenty of opportunities for Lille to slip up.

On the final day of the season, Lille will host Angers, who are just one of three sides to hand them a defeat this year. They’ll obviously still be favourites, but this is a tricky run-in.

Kylian MbappeKylian Mbappe
PSG have work to do | JEFF PACHOUD/Getty Images

Remaining fixtures:

Strasbourg vs PSG (10/04)
PSG vs Saint-Etienne (18/04)
Metz vs PSG (24/04)
PSG vs Lens (02/05)
Rennes vs PSG (09/05)
PSG vs Reims (16/05)
Brest vs PSG (23/05)

What’s the point in even trying to predict how PSG will play this season? They’re favourites when they come up against almost any team on the planet, yet seemingly love throwing us curveballs with their performances.

Pochettino’s men have no more meetings with any of their rivals – fifth-placed Lens are their biggest threat on paper – and they will come up against a handful of strugglers. Reims, Strasbourg, Saint-Etienne and Brest are all in the bottom half of the table, so they should be easy pickings.

You can conceivably see PSG winning all of those fixtures, which will give the Parisians confidence over the final few weeks of the campaign.

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Monaco are in red-hot form | VALERY HACHE/Getty Images

Remaining fixtures:

Monaco vs Dijon (11/04)
Bordeaux vs Monaco (18/04)
Angers vs Monaco (25/04)
Monaco vs Lyon (02/05)
Reims vs Monaco (09/05)
Monaco vs Rennes (16/05)
Lens vs Monaco (23/05)

Four sides in the bottom half, four sides in the top half.

It’s a mixed bag for Monaco. They might be above all of their remaining opponents, but Niko Kovac’s side must navigate tricky meetings with Lyon, Lens and Rennes if they are to have any hope of toppling either Lille or PSG.

With just one loss in 2021 under their belt, Monaco are clearly in electric form and will fancy themselves up against anyone, but they would have undoubtedly preferred a bit of a friendlier run-in.

Lucas Paqueta, Ryan Cherki, Memphis DepayLucas Paqueta, Ryan Cherki, Memphis Depay
Lyon might have too much to do | Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images

Remaining fixtures:

Lyon vs Angers (11/04)
Nantes vs Lyon (18/04)
Lyon vs Lille (25/04)
Monaco vs Lyon (02/05)
Lyon vs Lorient (09/05)
Nimes vs Lyon (16/05)
Lyon vs Nice (23/05)

Lyon will have plenty of chances to pick up some easy points, but that back-to-back with Lille and Monaco will tell us pretty much everything we need to know about Lyon’s title hopes.

Away from those two, Lyon’s next-biggest test will come in the form of tenth-placed Angers, with five of their remaining seven opponents in the bottom half. Three of them are in the bottom four.

Lyon can expect to be in the chance until the final day, but their hopes could rest on beating Monaco and Lille. They could go five-for-five elsewhere, so keep your eyes on them.

Of the four, it’s PSG with the friendliest run-in. They’re well ahead of all of their remaining opponents in the table, and while that’s obviously not concrete proof that they’ll beat them all, there is reason for Pochettino to be fairly satisfied with where they are right now.

Both Lille and Monaco face tricky schedules, but it’s Lyon who could have the biggest role in deciding who walks away with the trophy. Rudi Garcia’s side must face both in what look like they’re only two real tests, so victories in both could set them up for a dramatic finale.

Truth be told, it’s impossible to definitively say who’s going to come out on top. PSG probably have the best chance, but you could easily make a case for any of these winning the grand prize. Of all the title races in Europe, this is the one to watch.

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