The Real Madrid star is in impressive company among the top strikers in Europe's premier competition and is likely to become its most prolific Frenchman ever
Karim Benzema's winning goal against Sporting saw him move up to seventh place on the list of European Cup and Champions League top scorers, overtaking Eusebio.
Benzema, 28, scored late on in Portugal after Adrien Silva appeared to have salvaged a point for the home side by cancelling out Raphael Varane's opening goal.
The Frenchman has now netted 48 goals in 87 appearances in Europe's top competition and is level with Andriy Shevchenko and Zlatan Ibrahimovic on the all-time list.
He is just one short of Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano and two behind Thierry Henry, who is currently the most prolific Frenchman in the competition's history.
At the top of the list, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 95 goals and Lionel Messi has accumulated 90, though the Argentine boasts the superior goals-per-game rate.
Raul, on 71 goals, completes a top three that is some way ahead of the chasing pack, with Ruud van Nistelrooy next on 56 goals and Benzema and Ibrahimovic the closest active challengers.
Benzema started the Sporting game among the substitutes and has had a slow start to the 2016-17 season, scoring five goals in 14 games before tonight's fixture.
He has had six 20-goal campaigns for Real Madrid and last season bagged 28 goals in 36 matches, the most prolific scoring rate of his career so far.
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