Following the intense conclusion of the UEFA Europa League quarter-final opening legs, Nottingham Forest’s Igor Jesus and Ludogorets’ Petar Stanić have moved to the forefront of the competition’s scoring charts. Both attackers have now amassed an impressive tally of seven goals each, distinguishing themselves as the primary contenders for the tournament’s golden boot as the knockout stages progress toward their climax.
The latest update to the scoring leaderboard comes in the wake of a pivotal Thursday night of European action. Notable results from the evening included Aston Villa’s commanding 3-1 victory over Bologna on Italian soil, while Nottingham Forest secured a hard-fought 1-1 stalemate against FC Porto. Elsewhere, Braga and Real Betis also shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw, and Freiburg delivered a comprehensive 3-0 defeat to Celta Vigo.
The current hierarchy of goalscorers reflects a tight race at the summit. Closely trailing the leading duo is Fenerbahçe’s Kerem Aktürkoğlu, who sits on six goals. A competitive chasing pack remains in contention with five goals apiece, including Real Betis’ Antony, GNK Dinamo’s Dion Beljo, Federico Bernardeschi of Bologna, and Stuttgart’s Bilal El Khannouss.
Leading top scorers in the Europa League after this week’s matches:
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7 goals – Igor Jesus (Nottingham Forest) and Petar Stanić (Ludogorets).
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6 goals – Kerem Aktürkoğlu (Fenerbahçe)
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5 goals – Antony (Real Betis), Dion Beljo (GNK Dinamo), Federico Bernardeschi (Bologna) and Bilal El Khannouss (Stuttgart).
With the decisive second-leg quarter-final fixtures scheduled for next week, the pressure remains on the frontrunners to maintain their scoring rhythm and propel their respective clubs toward the semi-finals.
