2022/23 UEFA Europa League Goal of the Season: Pedro Gonçalves strike tops Technical Observer selection
Sunday, June 4, 2023
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UEFA's Technical Observer Panel have selected their top ten goals of the 2022/23 UEFA Europa League season.
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The top ten goals of the 2022/23 UEFA Europa League campaign have been selected by UEFA's Technical Observer panel, with Pedro Gonçalves's finish against Arsenal for Sporting CP earning the honour of Goal of the Season.
Juventus's Ángel Di María claimed the runner-up spot for the first strike of his hat-trick against Nantes, while Omri Altman's acrobatic opener for AEK Larnaca against Dynamo Kyiv came third.
2022/23 UEFA Europa League Goal of the Season
1 Pedro Gonçalves (Arsenal 1-1 Sporting CP) – round of 16 second leg, 16/03/23
The Portuguese midfielder picked up the ball in his own half, advanced ten metres and unleashed a stunning long-range effort over Aaron Ramsdale with his right foot to level the score
2 Ángel Di María (Nantes 0-3 Juventus) – knockout round play-off second leg, 23/02/23
The first goal of the Argentinian's hat-trick. Di María came inside from the right to meet Nicolò Fagioli's pass at the corner of the penalty area with a first-time effort that curled inside the far post.
3 Omri Altman (AEK Larnaca 3-3 Dynamo Kyiv) – Matchday 5, 27/10/22
The Israel forward created space in the area with some clever movement, then capitalised by meeting a high ball from the right wing with a dramatic mid-air volley from the penalty spot.
4 Florian Wirtz (Leverkusen 2-3 Monaco) – knock-out round play-off first leg, 16/02/23
Wirtz's strike at home to Monaco was a tribute to his balance and ball control. The Leverkusen midfielder evaded the attention of five defenders before beating Alexander Nübel with a low shot.
5 Aitor Ruibal (Real Betis 3-0 HJK Helsinki) – Matchday 6, 03/11/22
The midfielder's only two goals in 2022/23 both came in this game. Ruibal cleverly turned one HJK defender on the edge of the area before nutmegging another and firing in from 25 metres.
6 Lucas Ocampos (Sevilla 3-0 PSV Eindhoven) – knockout round play-off first leg, 16/02/23
The eventual champions' first Europa League game of the campaign featured this fine goal, for which Ocampos controlled a high ball into the area with his right foot and turned to shoot with his left via the far post.
7 Lorenz Assignon (AEK Larnaca 1-2 Rennes) – Matchday 1, 08/09/22
The defender struck in added time to snatch victory in Cyprus. He met Kamaldeen Sulemana's left-wing cross with an improvised volley – using the outside of his right foot – to send the ball high into the net.
8 Aleksandar Katai (Crvena zvezda 2-1 Trabzonspor) – Matchday 5, 27/10/22
The winger set Crvena zvezda on their way to a home victory in style, curling a precise first-time shot into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area. It left goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır rooted to the spot.
9 Suso (Sevilla 2-1 Juventus) – semi-final second leg, 18/05/23
Another pin-point strike from long range, Suso collecting an Erik Lamela pass and skipping away from one challenge before finding the back of the Juventus net with a fierce left-foot effort.
10 Anastasios Bakasetas (Trabzonspor 1-0 Ferencváros) – Matchday 6, 03/11/22
Trézéguet did the legwork for this early winner, bursting into the area and finding Bakasetas. The latter's intelligent movement created space for a first-time left-foot shot past Dénes Dibusz from 20 metres.