2023/24 Europa League top scorers: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, João Pedro
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Article summary
Marseille's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Brighton's João Pedro are ahead of the pack having scored five goals in the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League group stage.
Article top media content
Article body
Marseille forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Brighton's João Pedro lead the scoring race in the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League with five goals apiece across the first five matchdays.
UEFA.com shines a spotlight on the competition's top marksmen and providers, as well as detailing the leading scorers by Europa League season.
Top scorers in this season's Europa League
Aubameyang started his campaign strongly with two goals against Ajax in a 3-3 draw on Matchday 1. He then failed to score again in the following three games, but was back on form against the Dutch side on Matchday 5, this time going one better and scoring a superb hat-trick in the thrilling 4-3 victory over Ajax, taking him on to 29 Europa League goals – one behind record holder Radamel Falcao.
Four of João Pedro's goals so far have been penalties, with the Brazilian forward scoring two in the 3-2 defeat by AEK Athens on Matchday 1 and then converting another spot kick late on to salvage a point in the 2-2 draw against Marseille on Matchday 2. He found the net from open play after scoring from a rebound during Brighton's win against Ajax on Matchday 3, then added another penalty in the 1-0 triumph over AEK Athens on Matchday 5.
Five players lie just behind the front-runners on four goals, including Leverkusen forward Victor Boniface and Roma striker Romelu Lukaku.
5 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Marseille)
5 João Pedro (Brighton)
4 Victor Boniface (Leverkusen)
4 Kristian Eriksen (Molde)
4 Vincenzo Grifo (Freiburg)
4 Fotis Ioannidis (Panathinaikos)
4 Romelu Lukaku (Roma)
Most assists in this season's Europa League
There is a four-way tie at the top of the assist charts, with Marseille paid Jonathan Clauss and Amine Harit along with West Ham's set-piece specialist James Ward-Prowse and Leverkusen winger Florian Wirtz all tied on four each.
Behind them follow four players who have three assists each, including Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.
4 Jonathan Clauss (Marseille)
4 Amine Harit (Marseille)
4 James Ward-Prowse (West Ham)
4 Florian Wirtz (Leverkusen)
3 Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
3 Leo Bengtsson (Aris Limassol)
3 Maximilian Eggestein (Freiburg)
3 Kristoffer Haugen (Molde)
Most goals and assists combined in this season's Europa League
Leverkusen players lead the way when it comes to goals and assists combined. In addition to his four creations, Wirtz scored against Häcken and Qarabağ too, while his team-mate Victor Boniface has scored four goals and created two assists across the four matchdays so far, meaning they are the two leaders with six.
6 Victor Boniface (Leverkusen)
6 Florian Wirtz (Leverkusen)
5 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Marseille)
5 Jonathan Clauss (Marseille)
5 Amine Harit (Marseille)
5 Vincenzo Grifo (Freiburg)
5 Fotis Ioannidis (Panathinaikos)
5 João Pedro (Brighton)
How many Europa League hat-tricks have there been this season?
Grifo's treble against TSC was repeated by his team-mate Michael Gregoritsch on Matchday 5, the Austrian forward completing a hat-trick by the 37th minute in a 5-0 win against Olympiacos. Aubameyang then added a third hat-trick of the campaign against Ajax.
Before this term, there had been 77 trebles in the Europa League era at an average of about five per season. The record for hat-tricks in one season stands at 12, set in 2014/15. There have never been fewer than three hat-tricks in a single campaign (2009/10, 2011/12, 2022/23). Radamel Falcao alone hit three in 2010/11, an unmatched haul by a player in one campaign.
Europa League top scorers by season (group stage to final)
Radamel Falcao holds the record for most goals in a Europa League campaign, notching a remarkable 17 across 14 appearances for Porto in 2010/11. The Colombian was top scorer again the following season, this time in Atlético de Madrid colours. Just one other player has twice finished top scorer: Aritz Aduriz of Athletic Club in 2015/16 and 2017/18.
2022/23 Victor Boniface (Union SG), Marcus Rashford (Man United) – 6
2021/22 James Tavernier (Rangers) – 7
2020/21 Gerard Moreno (Villarreal), Pizzi (Benfica), Borja Mayoral (Roma), Yusuf Yazıcı (LOSC Lille) – 7
2019/20 Bruno Fernandes (Sporting CP/Man United) – 8
2018/19 Olivier Giroud (Chelsea) – 11
2017/18 Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Aritz Aduriz (Athletic Club) – 8
2016/17 Edin Džeko (Roma), Giuliano (Zenit) – 8
2015/16 Aritz Aduriz (Athletic Club) – 10
2014/15 Alan (Salzburg), Romelu Lukaku (Everton) – 8
2013/14 Jonathan Soriano (Salzburg) – 8
2012/13 Libor Kozák (Lazio) – 8
2011/12 Radamel Falcao (Atlético de Madrid) – 12
2010/11 Radamel Falcao (Porto) – 17
2009/10 Óscar Cardozo (Benfica), Claudio Pizarro (Werder Bremen) – 9