UEFA Cup marksmen primed for more

The UEFA Cup resumes this week when the Round of 32 fixtures get under way, and the race to be crowned the competition's top-scorer looks like being a close-run affair.

Close affair
Walter Pandiani's tally of eleven last term for beaten finalists RCD Espanyol left 'El Rifle' out on his own, however if the standings after the group stage are anything to go by, this season could be somewhat different. Three players top the goalscoring chart with six strikes to their name, while a further five are just a goal further back.

Helsingborg pairing
FC Bayern München's prolific Italian striker Luca Toni leads the way alongside Helsingborgs IF duo Henrik Larsson and Razak Omotoyossi. Four of Toni's haul came in just 90 minutes, during Bayern's 6-0 demolition of Aris Thessaloniki FC on Matchday 5. Larsson and Omotoyossi, though, have shared their goals among the Swedish sides' six matches since the first round in September, accounting for 12 of Helsingborg's 16 goals so far. Larsson's haul has taken the 36-year-old to within seven UEFA club competition goals of Filippo Inzaghi's total of 63.

Other contenders
Dimitrios Papadopoulos, Stefan Kiessling, Agüero, Fernando Cavenaghi and Roland Linz make up the chasing pack, and all have some way to go if they are to break Jürgen Klinsmann's record of 15 goals set during Bayern's triumph of 1995/96. Since then, only Derlei has threatened in 2002/03, when his haul of 12 helped FC Porto claim the trophy. Only matches from the first round onwards count towards the scorers' totals.