The inclusion of Wayne Rooney by replacing Steve Bruce as Newcastle's manager shortlist is quite shocking. In between all the doubts and rumors, Newcastle included Wayne Rooney on their managerial shortlist.

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The news has been shared by a reliable source close to the club's owners. He is currently the manager of EFL Championship club Derby County and is also showing interest in this new position. Newcastle is also considering Steven Gerrard, Roberto Martinez, and Unai Emery as the new manager to replace Bruce.

The 35-year-old is finding it absolutely difficult to keep Derby County in the Championship after suffering a huge 12-point deduction. Derby is now at the bottom of the table with only 3 points. He managed to win only 13 out of 50.

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The dismissal of Bruce is nothing out of the ordinary as people expected these and there were many rumors as well. Sadly, during the Premier League match at St. James Park, some fans even shouted at Bruce's dismissal.

The UEFA Champions League 2024-25 has started and the first matchweek is over as well. On the very first matchday, Bayern Munich thrashed Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb with a scoreline of 9-2 and became the first-ever team to score nine goals in a UCL match. They have also registered themselves as the first-ever team to have a huge margin of victory in the new UCL League Phase format.

In this article, we are going to look back to some of the biggest wins in Champions League history since the modern UCL Era, which started in 1992.

Biggest wins in the Champions League Group Stage

The new League phase format of the UCL has replaced the Group Stage format which existed from 1991-92 to the 2023-24 season. These classic group stages have seen some of the craziest victories by a huge scoreline. Here are the following matches:

1. Liverpool FC 8-0 Besiktas JK | UCL 2007-08

Liverpool FC met Turkish side Besiktas JK in the group stage of UCL 2007-08 at the Anfield. Peter Crouch opened the scoring spree for Liverpool in the 19th minute of the game. Following this, Youssi Benayoun scored a hat-trick to make it 4 for The Reds.

Steven Gerrard scored a goal in the 70th minute of the game, after which, Ryan Babel scored a brace to make it 7-0 for Liverpool. Peter Crouch put the final nail in the coffin as he scored his second and Liverpool's 8th goal. The match finished with a scoreline of 8-0 in favour of The Reds, six of which came in the second half. 

Rafael Benitez's men became the first team in UCL's history to score eight goals in a single UCL Group match as well as the first team to score six goals after half-time of a UCL match.

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2. Real Madrid 8-0 Malmo FF | UCL 2015-16

Champions League's most successful team in history, Real Madrid registered their biggest UCL Group Stage victory against Malmo, by 8-0 in the 2015-16 season. Cristiano Ronaldo was the most instrumental player for the Royal Whites, bagging 4 goals. He also scored a brilliant free-kick from outside the box. Karim Benzema drew the first blood in this match and ended with a hat-trick as well. Mateo Kovacic found himself on the scoreline with one goal.

Coincidentally, Rafael Benitez was again in charge, this time for Real Madrid.

Though the biggest winning margin in a UCL Group Match is by 8 goals, here are some significant huge victories that the Group stage has witnessed: 

Biggest Single-match victories in the Round of Sixteens

Round of Sixteen used to be the first Knock-out stage after the Group Stage being over. The previous UCL format ensured a two-legged tie in the knock-outs, except for the final. But sometimes, some teams finished their next round qualification in a singhe leg by a huge margin. Here are those matches:

1. Bayern Munich 7-0 Shakhtar Donetsk | UCL 2014-15

Bayern Munich ran riot agaisnt Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk in the second leg of their Round of Sixteen tie in 2014-15 season.The Bavarians defeated the opponent by scoring 7-0, a record in round of 16 stage.

Thomas Muller scored a brace; while Jerome Boateng, Frank Ribery, Robert Lewandowski, Mario Gotze and Holger Badstuber scored one each. Pep Guardiola was the manager of Bayern Munich that time. 

2. Manchester City 7-0 RB Leipzig | 2022-23

The 2022-23 season was Erling Haaland's first season in Manchester City colours and he made sure he broke tons of records for the Blues in his debut season. The Norwegian wonder scored 5 goals against RB Leipzig in the second leg of their tie, as Manchester City bulldozed RB Leipzig with a stunning scoreline of 7-0.

Read Also | Erling Haaland: Top 10 fastests to 20 UEFA Champions League goals 

Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne extended their lead to 7 goals by scoring one goal each. Later that season, Manchester City clinched their first-ever UEFA Champions League title by beating Inter Milan 1-0 in Istanbul.

Again, coincidentally, Pep Guardiola was City's manager this time! 

Here are two other huge victories that happened in the Round Of Sixteens.

Winning Teams	Opponents	Scorelines	Season
Bayern Munich	FC Basel	7-0	2011-12
Manchester City	Schalke 04	7-0	2018-19

 

Biggest Single-match victories in Champions League Quarter Finals

Over the years, UCL Quarter Finals have seen some of the biggest and most iconic wins in the history of the competition. Here are the following matches:

1. Manchester United 7-1 AS Roma | 2006-07

Manchester United faced AS Roma in their Quarter Final tie of UCL the 2006-07 season. Though AS Roma had defeated Manchester United by 2-1 in the first leg, the Red Devils made an iconic comeback in the second leg after beating Roma by 7-1 at the Old Trafford.

Micheal Carrick scored the first goal for United in the 11th minute followed by two more from Alan Smith and Wayne Rooney in the first 20 minutes. Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace as well, and Carrick scored another to make it six for United. Daniele De Rossi pulled one back for Roma, but Patrice Evra scored the seventh. 

2. Bayern Munich 8-2 FC Barcelona | 2019-20

This defeat was FC Barcelona's most humiliating one among their recent UCL appearances. Due to covid protocols, UEFA decided to arrange single-legged knock-outs in 2020.

Bayern made sure they stamp authority over the Catalonian side with a 8-2 victory. Thomas Muller scored early in the 4th minute into the game, but David Alaba's own goal awarded an equaliser to Barca. Ivan Perisic, Serge Gnabry scored one each and with Thomas Muller scoring again, the first half ended with a scoreline of 4-1 in favour of Bayern.

Though Luis Suarez scored another one for Barca, Bayern added 4 goals to their tally in the second half to make it 8-2 for them. Joshua Kimmich, Robert Lewandowski scored one each and Philippe Coutinho scored a brace for Bayern. 

Here are some other big-margin victories in the UCL Quarter Finals that are special: 

Winning Teams	Opponents	Scorelines	Season
Bayern Munich	FC Porto	6-1	2014-15
FC Barcelona	Shakhtar Donetsk	5-1	2010-11
Real Madrid	Tottenham Hotspur	4-0	2010-11
FC Barcelona	Bayern Munich	4-0	2008-09

Biggest Single-match victories in the Semi-finals

The UEFA Champions League Semifinal clashes have always been the finals before the final. For fact, more than the finals, it is the final-four battles, that made the fans gasp in shock, excitement and heartbreaks. Here in the following, we look back at some of the biggest single-match victories in UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

1. Real Madrid 4-0 Bayern Munich | 2013-14 

Real Madrid created history by defeating Bayern Munich by 4-0 in the second leg of the Champions League Semifinal in Allianz Arena in the 2013-14 season. Sergio Ramos scored two goals in a span of only 5 minutes, giving Real Madrid a lead of 2-0 within first 20 minutes.

Cristiano Ronaldo then scored a brace as well and Real Madrid registered an iconic away win. Following this victory, Real Madrid won their 10th UCL that season.

Read Also | Top 5 Defenders with the Most Champions League goals 

2. Manchester City 4-0 Real Madrid | 2022-23

Manchester City defeated Real Madrid in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League Semi-finals at Etihad, by 4-0 to enter what would be their greatest night in the club's history. Bernardo Silva scored an exquisite brace for City in the first half.

Followed by that, Manuel Akanji and Julian Alvarez scored one each to lead Man City into the Final. City went on to win their maiden UCL trophy that season.

Biggest wins in the Champions League Finals

AC Milan 4-0 FC Barcelona। 1993-94

AC Milan defeated FC Barcelona by 4-0 in the 1993-94 UEFA Champions League Final, to register the biggest win in Champions League final. Daniele Massaro scored a brace for Milan, followed by Dejan Savićević's strike in the 47th minute and Marcel Desailly's goal in the 58th minute.

These are some of the biggest wins in the modern era of the UEFA Champions League that started in 1992, excluding the European Cup history. 

There's always been hype about the English Premier League and its competitiveness. The players become legends with great performances in Europe's top league. Scoring goals is considered the most glamorous skill in football. Those who consistently find the back of the net can earn legendary status in the game. So, it's time we look at the top players who have scored the most goals in the history of the Premier League.

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Most Goals in the Premier League History

Alan Shearer (Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers) - 260 goals

Alan Shearer was the top striker when it came to scoring goals. He is still leading the top-scoring chart by over 50 goals which shows how lethal a finisher Shearer was. In his four Premier League seasons with Blackburn, he scored 30-plus goals on three occasions. He continued that goal-scoring ability to Newcastle, where he scored 20-plus goals four times. He scored 112 goals for Blackburn in 138 appearances and 148 goals in 303 appearances.

Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) - 213 goals

English striker Harry Kane is second on this list with 213 goals. He had the opportunity to get past Alan Shearer but the Tottenham striker moved to Bayern in the 2023-24 season. Kane hit double figures in nine consecutive Premier League seasons, with his highest coming in the 2017/18 and 2022/23 campaigns, where he scored 30 goals. Kane scored 213 goals in 317 appearances for Spurs before moving to Germany.

Wayne Rooney (Everton, Manchester United) - 208 goals

Wayne Rooney's record at Manchester United is something to talk about. He hit double figures in the League 11 seasons in a row. He is the all-time top goalscorer of the Red Devils. Rooney's Premier League career started and ended at Everton, but he made his name at United. His best season came in 2011/12 when he scored 27 goals. He scored 25 goals at Everton in 98 appearances and 183 goals in 393 appearances at Manchester United.

Andrew Cole (Newcastle, Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Manchester City, Portsmouth and Sunderland) - 187 goals

Andrew Cole was a sensational striker of his time. Cole played a huge part in Manchester United's treble-winning season of 1999. In his very first Premier League season, Cole scored 34 goals for Newcastle. He managed to score double figures for United (on five occasions) and once each for Blackburn and Fulham. Cole played for 7 English Clubs throughout his career and scored a total of 187 goals in 415 appearances.

Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) - 184 goals

The former Argentine striker Sergio Aguero is fifth on this list with 184 goals to his name. He played a huge role in the transformation of Manchester City. Aguero scored 20 or more Premier League goals in six of his 10 seasons at the club. His best campaign was in the 2014/15 season, when he scored 26 goals. He is in the exclusive club of Premier League players to have scored five goals in the same game. Aguero did that against Newcastle in 2015. 

The Euro is one of the biggest platforms for European football players to showcase their talent. Most young players often break down under pressure or spend years on the training grounds before making their mark on the world stage but the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney stand out among the elites who tasted success early in their careers. We have seen many young players excel in the Euros and go on to become the next big thing in the world of football. Barcelona's generational talent Lamine Yamal came out as the star boy in the Euro 2024 and at the age of only 16, he is dominating the opposition defenders. So, it's time we look at the Greatest teenagers in the history of the Euros.

Read Also: Top Five youngest scorers in UEFA Euro history

Greatest teenagers in the UEFA Euro history

5. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Euro 2004)

3. Pedri (Spain, Euro 2020)

The 16-year-old La Masia talent Lamine Yamal surpassed Switzerland's Johann Vonlanthen as the youngest goal scorer in the history of Euros. The Spanish right winger scored the equalizer against France in the Euro 2024 semi-final from outside the box to register his name in the history books.

The Euro is one of the biggest platforms for European football players to showcase their talent. Most young players often falter under pressure or spend years on the training grounds before making their mark on the world stage but the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney stand out among the elites who tasted success early in their careers. In this article, we'll look at the top 5 youngest scorers in the UEFA Euro history.

Read Also: Top 5 Goalscorers of UEFA Euro 2024

Top Five youngest scorers in UEFA Euro history

5. Dragan Stojkovic (Serbia/Yugoslavia) – 19 years 108 days

The present Serbian manager Dragan Stojkovic comes fifth on the list of youngest scorers in the history of the UEFA Euro. He was the former holder of this record for four years before Wayne Rooney broke it in the 2004 edition of the tournament. His first-ever goal in the competition came when he converted a late penalty for Yugoslavia in a 3-2 loss against France. Yugoslavia took the lead in the first half, but Platini's hat-trick helped France win the clash.

4. Renato Sanches (Portugal) – 18 years 317 days

The 2016 Golden Boy Renato Sanches scored against Poland in the Euro 2016 Quarter-Final to grab the spot among the youngest scorers in the history of the UEFA Euro. Portugal were trailing against the Polish team after Robert Lewandowski scored in the 2nd minute of the game. Sanches scored in the 33rd minute to level the scoreline. The match eventually went into penalties and Portugal won it 5-3.

3. Wayne Rooney (England) – 18 years 237 days

Ronaldo was in the second spot but it took Wayne Rooney only five days to break Ronaldo’s record and even surpass Stojkovic when he scored a brilliant header against Switzerland in the second match of the group stages. Rooney scored his first Euro goal from Michael Owen’s perfect cross. The goal was the first of his two goals in the 3-0 victory, making him the youngest-ever player to score a brace in the Euros.

2.  Johann Vonlanthen (Switzerland) – 18 years 141 days

Wayne Rooney held the record for four days before Johan Vonlanthen of Switzerland surpassed him in the last group-stage match against France. He scored the equalizer and wrote his name in the history books. Switzerland eventually lost the game 1-3 and got knocked out of the competition but Vonlanthen held that record for 20 years before Spanish talent Lamine Yamal broke it against the same opposition.

1. Lamine Yamal (Spain) - 16 years 362 days

Lamine Yamal made history after scoring an equalizer for Spain against France in the 21st minute in the semi-final of the UEFA Euro 2024, becoming the youngest goalscorer (16 years and 362 days) in the history of this competition. Yamal has been dominating every opposition in the 2024 edition of the European Championship but only a goal was missing from his tally. It eventually came in the big moment when he scored the equalizer with his left foot from outside the box. Yamal is currently the joint assist leader of the tournament with three assists and lots of credit goes to him behind Spain's domination in the Euro 2024.