Hakimi Draws Level With Salah on Champions League Assists and Eyes Eto’o’s African Record
Hakimi Draws Level With Salah on Champions League Assists and Eyes Eto’o’s African Record
Achraf Hakimi added another milestone to his Champions League story on Tuesday night. The Morocco captain set up Paris Saint-Germain’s fourth goal in their 4-2 win over Barcelona, and that single assist lifted him to 19 in the competition, level with Egypt’s Mohamed Salah. Only one African player now stands above him in the list of most Champions League assists: Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o, on 20.
Hakimi’s cross in the 86th minute found Fabián Ruiz, who finished from close range to seal a thrilling night at the Parc des Princes. It was a small moment in a six-goal game, but it moved the PSG full-back to within touching distance of a record. Want more on the biggest games? Get our free Champions League predictions on KlinPredict.
Hakimi’s Champions League assists: 19
Level with: Mohamed Salah (19)
Needs to take the African lead: two more assists, since Samuel Eto’o has 20
Match: PSG 4-2 Barcelona, league phase matchday 3
Data: figures as reported by the Stats Foot network
Africa’s Top Champions League Assist Providers
| RANK | PLAYER | COUNTRY | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ASSISTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samuel Eto’o | Cameroon | 20 |
| 2 (joint) | Mohamed Salah | Egypt | 19 |
| 2 (joint) | Achraf Hakimi | Morocco | 19 |
Assist totals can differ between data providers, especially for players whose careers began before detailed tracking started, so treat these numbers as the Stats Foot figures.
Why This Record Matters
Salah and Eto’o are two of the biggest names African football has produced in Europe. Salah, now at Trabzonspor and not playing in this season’s Champions League, is the competition’s all-time top African goalscorer. Eto’o won the trophy with Barcelona and Inter and was one of the most feared forwards of his era. Reaching their level as a creator is rare for a full-back, and it shows how much of PSG’s attack now runs through Hakimi’s right flank.
Hakimi has built his numbers across four clubs in the competition: Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan and PSG. The Barcelona assist also came only days after he moved into third place on the list of African players with the most Champions League appearances, behind Salah and Didier Drogba.
How Close Is the Throne?
One more assist would draw Hakimi level with Eto’o at the top of the African list, and a second would put him alone in first place. With PSG’s attack in such strong form, the chances will come. The champions travel to Villarreal in the league phase on 3 November, and they have four more league phase matches after that, so there is plenty of time for Hakimi to take the record this season.
The result also kept PSG perfect. The win took them to nine points and top spot, while Barcelona slipped to fifth on six points after their first defeat of the season. You can read the full story of the game in our PSG 4-2 Barcelona match report.
Will Hakimi break the record at Villarreal? Check KlinPredict’s free daily football predictions before the next Champions League night, including BTTS/GG predictions and over 2.5 goals predictions. New to analysis? Start with our guide on how to predict football matches accurately.
Betting is for adults aged 18 and over and should stay fun and under control. KlinPredict predictions are opinions based on data and do not guarantee any result. If betting stops being fun, free help is available from BeGambleAware.
