Lewandowski surpasses Messi to set new UCL record after Newcastle brace

Robert Lewandowski officially rewrote UEFA Champions League history in the Champions League triumph against Newcastle, surpassing Lionel Messi to become the player who has scored against the most different teams in the competition's history. 

Heading into the Round of 16 second leg tied with Messi at 40 distinct opponents, the 37-year-old Polish striker broke the deadlock by scoring a second-half brace against the Magpies, making the English side his record-breaking 41st European victim. 

Finding the back of the net with a header in the 56th minute and a clinical finish in the 61st minute at the Camp Nou, Lewandowski’s ruthless performance supercharged Barcelona’s 7-2 demolition of the Magpies (8-3 on aggregate) to secure their quarter-final spot.

While the veteran forward's time in top-flight European football is inevitably winding to a close, this milestone further cements his legacy as one of the most prolific goal-scorers of his generation. 

Over his continental career, Lewandowski has now scored against the following 41 clubs: AEK Athens, Ajax, Anderlecht, Antwerp, Arsenal, AS Roma, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Benfica, Besiktas, Borussia Dortmund, Brest, Chelsea, FC Copenhagen, Red Star Belgrade, Dinamo Zagreb, Dynamo Kyiv, Inter, Juventus, Lazio, Malaga, Manchester City, Napoli, Newcastle United, Olympiacos, Olympique Lyonnais, Olympique Marseille, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, PSV Eindhoven, RB Salzburg, Real Madrid, FC Rostov, Shakhtar Donetsk, Slavia Prague, Tottenham Hotspur, Viktoria Plzen, Villarreal, Young Boys, and Zenit St Petersburg.