Alfredo Morelos is aiming for the Europa League last eight in more ways than one.
He and his teammates are of course shooting for the quarter-final of this season’s competition with Red Star Belgrade standing in the way, ahead of Thursday’s second leg showdown. On a personal level, the Colombian is now just eight goals away from levelling the record set by Henrik Larsson as the competition’s top ever goalscorer, including its former guise as the UEFA Cup.
El Bufalo is already at three on the list, just two goals behind Klaas-Jan Huntelaar who recently retired following a second spell with Schalke.
All-time UEFA Cup/Europa League top scorers 🔝#UEL pic.twitter.com/81vFS2d1Fg
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) March 11, 2022
Two or three more strikes this season is certainly within reach of Morelos, more so if Rangers can make it to the quarter-final and at least two more games but that all-time record is very much one for the longer term.
Whether that will be at Ibrox or not, remains to be seen but it is a credit to the Colombia international that he has made it so far on the scoring list already thanks to his exploits over the last three years as the Gers restored a reputation in Europe under Steven Gerrard.
Radamel Falcao was sitting at 31 goals but last week’s goal against Red Star for Morelos took him clear into third place on 32 taking the leading scorer tag in their native Colombia to add to his increasing reputation.
Belgrade and the Rajko Mitic stadium is the perfect platform for the Rangers man to fire himself further into the spotlight and with it, to propel the Scottish champions into the quarter-final of the Europa League.