Di María continues incredible record against Monaco and nears Giggs’ record

Ángel Di María (36) proved to be the difference maker in Benfica's 3-2 victory over AS Monaco in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday evening. He was retained for long periods and assisted two goals in the space of four minutes late to not only ensure a crucial return to winning ways for the Portuguese side, but also improve his own record against the Principality club and Approaching Champions League record. .

Di María first assisted Arthur Cabral before finding Zeki Amdouni as Benfica overturned the deficit late on at the Stade Louis II. It means the former Paris Saint-Germain striker now has 11 assists against Monaco, significantly more than against any other team in world football (he has seven against Stade Rennais, FC Nantes, Olympique Lyonnais, FC Metz and Levante). .

But more importantly for Di María, it means he is closing in on the Champions League assists record. He now stands at 38, just three behind former Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs, who is the record holder. The Argentina international has now overtaken David Beckham, but is still behind not only Giggs but also Lionel Messi (39) and Cristiano Ronaldo (40).

With three games remaining in the competitive phase of this year's Champions League edition and a place in the next phase of the competition looking increasingly certain, Di María may soon get the chance to improve on that record.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle