Lionel Messi wins Champions League Goal of the Group Stage
Nearly 120,000 votes were cast for UEFA Champions League Goal of the Group Stage, with Lionel Messi's sensational Matchday 3 effort for Paris against Benfica topping the poll.
Messi's goal – a vintage first-time finish from the edge of the penalty area – gave Paris the lead in a game they went on to draw 1-1. It was his 127th strike in the UEFA Champions League proper, a tally which now stands at 129 – just 11 shy of Cristiano Ronaldo's all-time record.
Erling Haaland's spectacular finish for Manchester City against former side Borussia Dortmund finished second in the vote ahead of another Messi goal in third: his outside-of-the-boot effort at home to Maccabi Haifa.
There were ten goals nominated in all, with fans able to vote from 10:00 CET on Monday 7 November until 12:00 CET on Friday 11 November.
UEFA Champions League Goal of the Group Stage
1. Lionel Messi, Benfica 1-1 Paris (Matchday 3)
2. Erling Haaland, Man City 2-1 Dortmund (Matchday 2)
3. Lionel Messi, Paris 7-2 Maccabi Haifa (Matchday 5)
4. Galeno, Leverkusen 0-3 Porto (Matchday 4)
5. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool 2-0 Rangers (Matchday 3)
6. Heung-Min Son, Tottenham 3-2 Frankfurt (Matchday 4)
7. Kylian Mbappé, Juventus 1-2 Paris (Matchday 6)
8. Arthur Gomes, Sporting CP 2-0 Tottenham (Matchday 2)
9. Kylian Mbappé, Paris 2-1 Juventus (Matchday 1)
10. Ferran Torres, Barcelona 5-1 Plzeň (Matchday 1)
🥇 Messi's superb curling effort voted Goal of the Group Stage! 👏👏👏#UCLGOTGS | @heineken pic.twitter.com/uQcsLMO4lk
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 11, 2022
