BENFICA’S MILE SVILAR has become the youngest ever goalkeeper to start a Champions League game, overtaking former Real Madrid stopper Iker Casillas’ record.
The 18-year-old was named in Luis Filipe Vieira’s starting XI for Benfica’s home tie against Jose Mourinho’s Manchester Untied on Tuesday evening at Estadio da Luz.
Svilar becomes the youngest ever goalkeeper to start in the prestigious competition aged 18 years and 52 days.
Casillas made his debut in the competition for Real against Olympiakos in 1999, aged 18 years and 117 days, a record which has stood since this evening.
Nikolay Mihaylov of Levski Sofia is next in line, aged 18 years and 124 days, with CSKA’s Igor Akinfeev fourth in the rankings for his outing against Porto aged 18 years and 159 days.
Adrian Semper of Dinamo Zagreb completes the top five for his appearance against Lyon in 2016, at an age of 18 years and 245 days.
Jose Pepe Reina also makes the top 10 for his appearance whilst at Barcelona in 2001 aged 19 years and 61 days, while Petr Cech’s Champions League debut for Sparta Prague against Bayern Munich in 2001 puts him eighth at 19 years and 121 days.
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