The UEFA Champions League has delivered some of the greatest football moments in history. While fans love tactical masterclasses and last-minute winners, nothing gets the adrenaline pumping like a true goal-fest. In this list, we count down the top 10 highest scoring matches in the Champions League — where defenses collapsed, and goals flowed like water. These thrilling matches left fans breathless and records shattered.
10. Paris Saint-Germain 7-2 Maccabi Haifa
- Stage: Matchday 5 | 25 October 2022
- Total Goals: 9
- Venue: Parc des Princes, Paris
Paris Saint-Germain put on a clinical attacking display against Maccabi Haifa in a dominant 7-2 victory. The likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, and Neymar were all on the scoresheet in what became one of the highest scoring matches of the group stage. The Israeli side couldn’t cope with PSG’s attacking fluidity, as the French champions booked a knockout stage spot with flair.
9. Manchester City 6-3 RB Leipzig
- Stage: Matchday 1 | 15 September 2021
- Total Goals: 9
- Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Manchester City opened their campaign with a chaotic 6-3 victory over RB Leipzig. The German side refused to give up despite conceding multiple times. City’s relentless offense and Leipzig’s counter-attacking efforts made it one of the most thrilling highest scoring matches in recent memory. Christopher Nkunku scored a hat-trick, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Premier League giants.
8. Tottenham 2-7 Bayern Munich
- Stage: Matchday 2 | 1 October 2019
- Total Goals: 9
- Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
In one of the most shocking highest scoring matches ever witnessed in England, Bayern Munich humiliated Tottenham on their home turf. Serge Gnabry scored four goals, and Robert Lewandowski added two more in a rampant second-half performance. Spurs initially took the lead, but Bayern responded with ruthless efficiency to record a famous 7-2 win.
7. Villarreal 6-3 Aalborg
- Stage: Matchday 3 | 21 October 2008
- Total Goals: 9
- Venue: Estadio de la Cerámica, Villarreal
Villarreal and Aalborg produced a nine-goal thriller in Spain, with the home side coming out 6-3 winners. Aalborg shocked Villarreal early but couldn’t maintain the tempo. Villarreal’s midfield dominance and attacking substitutions helped them run away with the match. It was a surprising inclusion among the highest scoring matches of that era.
Also Read: Top 10 Champions League Highest top scorers in a single season
6. Lyon 7-2 Werder Bremen
- Stage: Round of 16 (Second Leg) | 8 March 2005
- Total Goals: 9
- Venue: Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon
In the return leg of the Round of 16, Lyon dismantled Werder Bremen with a brutal 7-2 win. Brazilian striker Giovane Élber led the line as Lyon crushed the Bundesliga side to reach the quarter-finals. The French team was clinical in transition and took full advantage of Bremen’s defensive errors in one of the highest scoring matches in the knockout rounds.
5. Paris Saint-Germain 7-2 Rosenborg
- Stage: Matchday 3 | 24 October 2000
- Total Goals: 9
- Venue: Parc des Princes, Paris
PSG featured again in a goal-filled contest, this time against Norwegian club Rosenborg in 2000. The French side put on a scoring masterclass, with multiple players contributing. Rosenborg tried to fight back but were completely outclassed. This early-2000s group stage match remains among the highest scoring matches in UCL group history.
4. Barcelona 2-8 Bayern Munich
- Stage: Quarter-finals | 14 August 2020
- Total Goals: 10
- Venue: Estádio da Luz, Lisbon
This match will be remembered forever as one of Barcelona’s darkest nights and one of the highest scoring matches in UCL knockout history. Bayern Munich destroyed the Spanish giants with a stunning 8-2 victory. Thomas Müller, Ivan Perišić, and Philippe Coutinho (on loan from Barca) contributed to the massacre. The match was symbolic of Bayern’s dominance in the COVID-delayed 2020 campaign.
3. Monaco 8-3 Deportivo La Coruña
- Stage: Matchday 4 | 5 November 2003
- Total Goals: 11
- Venue: Stade Louis II, Monaco
Monaco shocked everyone with a blistering 8-3 victory over Deportivo in one of the craziest matches in UCL history. Croatian striker Dado Pršo scored four goals on his birthday, as Monaco’s attacking play tore the Spanish defense apart. Despite Deportivo managing three goals, they couldn’t stop what would become one of the highest scoring matches of the 2000s.
2. Bayern Munich 9-2 Dinamo Zagreb
- Stage: Matchday 1 | 17 September 2024
- Total Goals: 11
- Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich
Bayern Munich kicked off their 2024/25 campaign with a ruthless 9-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb. Goals came from all areas as Bayern broke down Zagreb’s defense repeatedly. The match showed why the German giants remain a European powerhouse. It ranks second in the all-time list of highest scoring matches in Champions League history.
1. Borussia Dortmund 8-4 Legia Warszawa
- Stage: Matchday 5 | 22 November 2016
- Total Goals: 12
- Venue: Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund
This wild encounter holds the record for the highest scoring match in UEFA Champions League history. Borussia Dortmund and Legia Warszawa combined for 12 goals in an unforgettable night. Dortmund led 5-2 at halftime and didn’t stop there. Marco Reus, Shinji Kagawa, and others helped pile on the goals, while Legia surprisingly kept scoring as well. It was chaotic, entertaining, and unmatched to this day.