Last Updated: February 23, 2024, 13:38 IST
Pierre Emerick Aubameyang surpassed Radamel Falcao to take the top spot in Europa League history (Credit: X)
Aubameyang surpassed former Manchester United and Atletico Madrid forward Radamel Falcao to become the all-time top-scorer in the European club competition with 31 goals.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang etched his name in the history of the Europa League when he scored the equaliser for Marseille in the knock-out round play-off match against Shakhtar Donetsk on Friday.
The goal helped Aubameyang surpass former Manchester United forward Radamel Falcao to become the all-time top-scorer in the European club competition. Both players were tied at 30 goals before Aubameyang secured the record with an ice-cool finish at the Stade Velodrome.
Notably, these goals have been counted since 2009 when the UEFA Cup was rebranded as the Europa League. Swedish legend Henrik Larsson holds the record for scoring the most number of goals in the competition during the UEFA Cup era. He also has 31 goals to his name, similar to Aubameyang.
In the Europa League tally, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is followed by former Athletic Bilbao striker Aritz Aduriz and AS Roma’s Romelu Lukaku, who have netted 26 goals in the tournament. The third spot is jointly held by ex-Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette and former PSG star Kevin Gameiro. They have recorded 22 Europa League goals in their careers.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who kicked off his professional career with AC Milan in 2008, has represented several major European outfits. He has scored the Europa League goals while playing for four different clubs. Aubameyang recorded 14 goals for Arsenal, eight for Borussia Dortmund and two for Barcelona before moving to Marseille from Chelsea last summer. He has already struck seven times for Marseille in the Europa League.
The French club conceded an early goal in the home game against Shakhtar Donetsk, with Heorhiy Sudakov breaking the deadlock by converting a penalty. Aubameyang took merely ten minutes to make it all square. He received a low cross inside the opposition box and slotted it home from the bottom corner.
Ismalia Sarr and Geoffrey Kondogbia increased the lead for Marseille late in the second half, with the hosts notching a 3-1 win to secure a 5-3 aggregate in the two-leg fixture. Following the Europa League tie at home, Marseille are now set to take on Montpellier in their next Ligue 1 appearance on February 26. They are currently ninth in the league standings with 30 points in 22 matches.
