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Lionel Messi is now behind Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior in assists records in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League.

The Brazilian forward reached this milestone by assisting Jude Bellingham in Real Madrid’s 3-2 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad on Tuesday.

Pep Guardiola’s team took the lead in the first leg of the playoffs with Erling Haaland’s strike in the 19th minute.

Kylian Mbappe equalized for Real Madrid in the 60th minute, but Haaland restored City’s lead in the 80th minute with a penalty.

Six minutes later, Brahim Diaz leveled the score for Real Madrid.

Vinicius Junior then broke through the defense, lifting the ball over the advancing Ederson, allowing Bellingham to tap it into an empty net.

That assist marked Vinicius’ 13th in Champions League knockout matches, surpassing Messi, who has 12.

The 24-year-old reached this number in fewer matches, just 50.

However, Vinicius is still far from matching Messi’s overall Champions League assist record.

Messi has a total of 40 assists in the competition and ranks third on the all-time assists chart.

His fellow Argentine and international teammate, Angel Di Maria, holds second place with 41 assists.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who has played for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, tops the list with 42 assists.

As for Manchester City, they will be hoping for a miracle in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.

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