On the same night, both Pepe and Lamine Yamal set age records in the Champions League Round of 16. While the Portuguese centre-back has become the oldest player (40 years and 360 days) to start a Champions League knockout stage game, Yamal became the youngest player (16 years, 223 days) to start a knockout game, adding to his ridiculous set of records over the past year.
Pepe was able to mark the occasion with a win, handing Arsenal a 1-0 loss in front of a home crowd in Porto. The centre-back also kept a clean sheet, denying the London club a result on their return to the knockout stages after five years.
Pepe and Lamine Yamal set Champions League records on the same night
The veteran defender has been at the heart of the defence for Porto over the past few seasons. He has been able to adjust to the pace of the game well in his home country, and even plays for the national team. Pepe wants to play at Euro 2024 too, and with his performances even at this age, it would be hard to see why he shouldn’t.
Yamal, on the other hand, was unable to mark the occasion with a win. Napoli were able to draw 1-1 with Barcelona, as both strikers, Victor Osimhen and Robert Lewandowski, were on target in the fixture.
The youngster was born two years after Pepe played his first Champions League knockout game, and has now made history in the competition once again. He has widely been hyped as the future of Barcelona, and has shown flashes of brilliance on certain occasions. But at such a young age, he still has a lot of room to grow.
