Several complicated months followed which weighed down his 2023-2024 season and reduced his Champions League to just two small appearances. One in the round of 16 first leg in Copenhagen which ended with a small masterclass from him (1 goal, 2 assists), the other in the quarter-final second leg lost against Real Madrid despite his equalizing goal to force extra time.
More consistent than Messi and CR7
As you can see, Kevin De Bruyne seems to transcend himself when he hears the Champions League anthem. His statistics from the last two seasons can confirm this: a decisive action every 71 minutes of play, and an assist every 103 minutes. These are averages that even Cristiano Ronaldo (every 84 and 329 minutes) and Lionel Messi (every 78 and 302 minutes) have not reached during their European careers.
“Let me talk”, “I don’t give a damn”, “We’ll never win the World Cup”: Kevin De Bruyne’s biggest rants”A statement that makes sense”, a locker room that discovered the exchange with Vercauteren late: what will Kevin De Bruyne do?
If KDB manages to pick up this pace – and knowing that he has only played 75 European matches – he could quickly get closer to the Portuguese (183 matches) and the Argentinian (163) in the ranking of the best assist providers in the history of the competition. His current total (29) has already allowed him to equal Iniesta or Karim Benzema and he only needs four new assists to overtake Xavi (30), Ryan Giggs (31) and Neymar (33). The next objective will therefore be to climb onto the podium currently occupied by Angel Di Maria (39), Lionel Messi (40) and Cristiano Ronaldo (42).
Shine but not only
To achieve this goal, the 33-year-old Citizen must first hope that his main rivals still present on the circuit (Müller at Bayern Munich and Di Maria at Benfica) are less decisive. He must also obviously focus on his own form. After finishing strong last season, KDB “started well and came back well”said Pep Guardiola. Even though he has only provided one assist in four games, “He helped us in the Premier League games. His morale is good and I’m happy. But no player can maintain this level every week.”warns his trainer.
quotation markThe competition is tough and they have to fight.
His medium-term performance will therefore also depend on his playing time. However, it is not excluded that Guardiola decides to rotate his squad, knowing that Phil Foden and Ilkay Gündogan also claim this number 10 spot within the 4-2-3-1. “When everyone is in shape, the competition is tough and they have to fight for themselves, to perform well.Guardiola recalled on Tuesday. I want to rotate the team, but they have to prove that they are ready to play. When they are not performing, I rotate the team. The important thing here is to win the next match and not to give gifts to this player or that player.”
In the longer term, getting close to Ronaldo’s record will require Kevin De Bruyne to continue his career at the highest European level. While the possibility of a move to Saudi Arabia has been mooted, it is not yet out of the question that a contract extension could come before it expires next June. And the key factor may well be non-sporting: the “trial of the century” (Editor’s note: 115 charges for breaching the Premier League’s financial regulations have been upheld) opened this Monday in England and its outcome (the verdict is expected in early 2025) is likely to dictate the future not only of the players but of the entire club.
The “trial of the century” begins this Monday at Manchester City
Related News :