En-Nesyri matches Kanoute's Sevilla feat with Levante strike

Youssef En-Nesyri has matched Frederic Kanoute's Sevilla goalscoring mark with his effort against Levante in Wednesday's La Liga showing.

A 53rd-minute effort by the Morocco international powered Julen Lopetegui's men past Paco Lopez's Frogs in the keenly contested affair at the Ciutat de Valencia.

Profiting from a Suso through ball, En-Nesyri unleashed a left-footed shot from close range to the bottom right corner of keeper Dani Cardenas' goal.

Boasting 21 goals since he joined from Leganes, the 23-year-old became the third-joint Sevilla player alongside the Malian legend to score more in their first 50 games in this century.

Columbia's Carlos Bacca sits in second position with three goals more, while former Brazil international Julio Baptista has scored more within this period - finding the net on 31 occasions.

In addition, that strike also saw him become the highest-scoring Moroccan player in La Liga history. His tally of 17 goals eclipsed Youssef El-Arabi's previous record of 16 goals scored during the 2015-16 season at Granada.

Having accrued 17 goals from 32 outings in the 2020-21 campaign, the red-hot African is the fourth top scorer in the Spanish top-flight so far this season.

He is behind Atletico Madrid's Luis Suarez (19 goals), Villarreal's Gerard Moreno (20 goals), Real Madrid's Karim Benzema (21 goals) and Barcelona's Lionel Messi (23 goals), Gerard Moreno (20 goals) and Lionel Messi (23 goals).

Speaking to the club website after the game, the Atlas Lions player opined that the team's success is more important than individual accolades.

"It is many goals, this year I will not tell them because the most important thing is to give the victory to the team," he said.

He also attributed their victory against the Frogs to 'concentration', while lauding Lopez's team for their impressive defensive formation.

"The Levante is a team that defends well, but we have had concentration until the end, scoring that first goal that gives us the three points."

Thanks to this result, Sevilla stay in contention for their first Spanish elite division diadem since the 1945-46 season. With 67 points from 32 games, they occupy third position.

Only three points separate them from leaders Real Madrid and second-placed Atletico Madrid. Unbeaten in their last seven games, they welcome Granada on Sunday.