Vlahovic, Rooney, Benzema & stars to score on Champions League debut

Carlo Garganese

• 23 Feb 2022 16:35 GMT
• 4 min read

Dusan Vlahovic joined an illustrious list of legends to score on their Champions League debut with his sensational goal for Juventus against Villarreal on Tuesday.

Vlahovic scored just 33 seconds into his Champions League bow with a stunning strike into the bottom corner in Spain.

So which big-name stars over the years have scored on their Champions League debuts since the competition was re-branded in 1992-93?

DUSAN VLAHOVIC (2022)

Dusan Vlahovic became the fastest Champions League debutant to score in history when he netted after just 33 seconds for Juventus in the last-16 first leg against Villarreal.

Vlahovic chested down a long ball from Danilo before striking home a brilliant shot with his weaker foot into the bottom corner of the net. The game finished 1-1.

The 21-year-old forward had only joined Juventus less than a month earlier from Fiorentina for €80 million.

ERLING HAALAND (2019)

Erling Haaland announced himself as a future superstar by thundering in a hattrick during his Champions League debut for RB Salzburg in 2019.

Haaland hit a treble in the first-half of Salzburg’s 6-2 thrashing of Genk, despite being just 19 at the time.

The giant striker has since gone on to star for Borussia Dortmund and become one of the best players in the world.

KARIM BENZEMA (2005)

Karim Benzema will be remembered as one of the best – and most underrated – strikers of his generation, enjoying a glorious career with Real Madrid.

Before that, though, he made his name at youth club Lyon and he provided a sign of what was to come by scoring on his Champions League debut.

An 18-year-old Benzema struck in Lyon’s final group game in December 2005 as the French side beat Rosenborg 2-1.

WAYNE ROONEY (2004)

Wayne Rooney’s Champions League debut in 2004 was also his Manchester United debut – and what an immediate impact he made.

Having recently made a controversial £27m move from Everyone, he struck a stunning hattrick in a 6-2 group stage win over Fenerbahce, clinched by a lovely free-kick.

Still 18 at the time, Rooney became the youngest ever Champions League hattrick scorer.

FAUSTINO ASPRILLA (1997)

On one of St James’ Park’s greatest-ever nights, Newcastle defeated the mighty Barcelona 3-2 in the opening game of the 1997-98 group stage.

There was no doubting who the hero was as Faustino Asprilla hit a hat-trick on his Champions League debut to down the Blaugrana. Two of them were bullet headers.

MARCO VAN BASTEN (1992)

Marco van Basten is considered by some to be the most complete number 9 in football history and he was part of a legendary Milan team that won three European Cups.

Having already scored 13 times in the European Cup, Van Basten netted again on his Champions League debut in 1992 when the competition was renamed.

The Dutchman hit all four goals in the 4-0 group win over IFK Goteborg, which included a famous bicycle kick.