Hakimi: 19 Champions League assists, level with Salah
Three Moroccan stars shone in Champions League Matchday 3: Hakimi closes in on Eto'o's African record, while Diaz and Ezzalzouli helped Real Madrid and Real Betis win.
Three Atlas Lions stars shone in Matchday 3 of the Champions League. Achraf Hakimi delivered a fourth assist for Paris Saint-Germain in their 4-2 win over FC Barcelona on Tuesday night, taking his career total to 19 assists in the competition's history, a tally that now equals Egypt's Mohamed Salah and brings him closer to the African record held by Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o. In two other matches on Wednesday, Brahim Diaz was decisive in Real Madrid's 4-1 win over RB Leipzig, while Abdessamad Ezzalzouli won the penalty that gave Real Betis their 1-0 win over Feyenoord.
Hakimi closes in on Eto'o's record
Hakimi, PSG's right-back and a Morocco national team star, climbed the all-time Champions League assists chart after Tuesday's match against Barcelona at the Parc des Princes, which ended in a 4-2 Paris win. Hakimi provided the assist for the fourth goal, taking his tally to 19 assists, a figure that currently equals Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, and leaves him just a few assists short of the African record held by Samuel Eto'o.
Diaz and Ezzalzouli also shine
In Wednesday night's match between Real Madrid and RB Leipzig, Brahim Diaz came on as a substitute in the 77th minute and set up the fourth goal for forward Yan Diomande in the 87th minute, sealing Real Madrid's 4-1 win. Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho praised Diaz in a post-match press conference, describing him as a player who doesn't start matches but whom he rates very highly.
Meanwhile, Real Betis winger Abdessamad Ezzalzouli was behind the only penalty that sealed his team's 1-0 win over Dutch side Feyenoord, after his cross into the box caused a handball by defender Jeremiah St. Juste in the 58th minute, converted by Isco a minute later. Ezzalzouli had also scored in his team's previous match against FC Porto.
| Player | Club | Result | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Achraf Hakimi | Paris Saint-Germain | 4-2 win over Barcelona | Assist (19th in the competition) |
| Brahim Diaz | Real Madrid | 4-1 win over Leipzig | Assist after coming off the bench |
| Abdessamad Ezzalzouli | Real Betis | 1-0 win over Feyenoord | Won the decisive penalty |
Why it matters to Moroccan fans
The Moroccan trio's performances on European pitches, within a single week, reflect the growing presence of Morocco's internationals in the continent's biggest club competition, just months after the Atlas Lions won the Africa Futsal Cup of Nations. Moroccan football fans are already looking ahead to the next Champions League matchdays to see whether Hakimi will overtake the African record held by Eto'o.