Brazil’s Greatest Goalscorers in Champions League KO Stage: Vinicius Closes In on Neymar’s Record

• Vinicius Junior entered the top 3 list of highest-scoring Brazilians in the Champions League knockout stage
• He moved up the rankings after scoring a brace against Bayern in the first leg of the semis on Tuesday night
• Neymar and Kaka remain in first and second place on the list, but their lead over Vinicius is shrinking fast

History beckons for Vinicius Junior.

The Real Madrid star moved within three goals of Neymar's record for the highest-scoring Brazilian in the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League after netting a brace against Bayern Munich.

Sports Brief looks at Brazil's three greatest goal-scorers in Europe's biggest club competition.

Brazil's finest in Champions League KO stage

1. Neymar (13 goals)

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Neymar holds the record for most goals scored in the Champions League knockout phase, having found the back of the net 13 times during his stints with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, per Livescore.

He first scored a goal in the knockout round on April 1, 2014, in Barcelona's 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals. He scored an equaliser in the 71st minute to spare Barca's blushes.

He starred in Barcelona's 5-1 aggregate win over PSG in the 2015 Champions League quarter-finals, scoring three of their goals in the last 8.

He continued his dominance in the semis against Bayern Munich, scoring three of Barcelona's goals in their 5-3 aggregate win.

He added another goal in the final against Juventus, helping Barcelona record a 3-1 win to lift the Champions League title.

He scored twice against PSG in their Round of 16 clash in 2017 before joining the French giants the following offseason.

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He starred in PSG's 3-2 aggregate win over Borussia Dortmund in the 2020 Champions League Round of 16, scoring a goal in each leg.

2. Kaka (11 goals)

Kaka is ranked second on the list, scoring 11 goals in the Champions League knockout stage with AC Milan.

He opened his account in the knockout round on March 23, 2004, netting a brace in AC Milan's 4-1 quarter-final win against Deportivo La Coruna.

He waited two years to add to that tally, scoring a goal against Bayern Munich in the Round of 16.

He rose to prominence in the 2006-07 Champions League, scoring vital goals in the knockout round against Celtic (Round of 16), Bayern Munich (quarter-finals), and Manchester United (semi-finals) to lead AC Milan to the title.

His performance against the Red Devils in the semis became the stuff of legends, with Kaka scoring three of Milan's goals in their 5-3 aggregate win.

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He joined Real Madrid in 2009 and starred in their 8-2 aggregate win over APOEL Nicosia in the 2012 Champions League quarter-finals, scoring a goal in each leg.

He returned to Milan in 2013 and scored for the final time in the Champions League knockout round on March 11, 2014, in the Round of 16 match against Atletico Madrid.

3. Vinicius (10 goals)

Vinicius moved up to third on the list after scoring a brace against Bayern Munich on Tuesday night.

He now has scored 10 goals in the knockout round, all of which he accomplished with Real Madrid, per FBRef.

He opened his account in the knockout stage on April 6, 2021, netting a brace in Real's 3-1 win over Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

He then helped Real Madrid win the 2022 Champions League title, scoring in the semis against Manchester City and the match-winner against Liverpool in the final.

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He continued tormenting the Reds in 2023, scoring a brace in Real's 5-2 win at Anfield in the Round of 16. He also scored in the semis against Manchester City that same year.

In addition to his double against Bayern, the Brazilian star also scored against RB Leipzig in the Round of 16 this year.

Tuchel blames Kim for Bayern's draw

Sports Brief recently reported on Thomas Tuchel blasting Kim Min-jae for his poor performance against Real Madrid.

He blamed the South Korean defender for the two goals that Real Madrid scored on Tuesday.

Vinicius' late penalty earned Real a 2-2 draw in the first leg.