Salah, Aboubakar and Osimhen unstoppable, Fofana and Benrahma shine, Haller as effective as ever
Africa's leading scorers in Europe delivered again over the second weekend of May in the domestic leagues
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England (matchday 35). – Liverpool (5th) made it six wins in a row, beating Brentford 1-0 at Anfield. Egyptian Mohamed Salah scored the Reds' only goal. Algerian Saïd Benrahma gave West Ham United (15th) a valuable 1-0 win over Manchester United.
Germany (matchday 31). – Ivorian Sébastien Haller scored one of Borussia Dortmund's six goals (2nd) in a 6-0 thrashing of Wolfsburg. Hoffenheim (14th) beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1 with a goal from Togolese Ilhas Bebous, while VfB Stuttgart (16th) lost 1-2 away to Hertha Berlin despite a goal back from Guinean Serhou Guirassy.
France (matchday 34). – Lens (2nd) beat Marseille 2-1, with a superb goal from Ivorian Seko Fofana. Strasbourg (14th) picked up an important 2-0 win at Nantes thanks to Senegalese pair Habib Diallo and Habib Diarra. A brace from Malian Ibrahima Koné helped Lorient (9th) beat Brest 2-1. Auxerre were held 1-1 by Clermont Foot (11th), the visitors' goal coming from Tunisian Saïf-Eddine Khaoui. Angers (20th) lost 1-2 at home to Monaco despite a goal from Senegalese Abdallah Sima.
Italy (matchday 34). – Already assured of the title, Napoli (1st) won again thanks to a penalty from Nigerian Victor Osimhen. AC Milan (5th) beat Lazio Rome 2-0 with a goal from Algerian Ismaël Bennacer.
Belgium (play-offs). – In the title race, Union Saint-Gilloise (2nd) won 2-1 at Club Brugge thanks to Nigerian Victor Boniface and Ivorian Jean Lazare. In the Europa Conference League qualifying play-offs, Gent beat Standard Liège 2-1 with another goal from Nigerian Gift Orban.
Netherlands (matchday 31). – RKC Waaljwik (8th) comfortably beat FC Volendam 4-1, with a goal from Moroccan Yassin Oukili.
Switzerland (matchday 32). – Cameroonian Jean-Pierre Nsamé scored again as Young Boys Bern (1st) won 2-0 at St Gallen. FC Zürich (8th) won 2-0 away to FC Basel with a goal from Nigerian Ifeanyi Matthew.
Turkey (matchday 33). – Helped by a brace from Cameroonian Vincent Aboubakar, Besisktas Istanbul (2nd) won 3-1 at Antalyaspor. Adana Demirspor (4th) beat Alanyaspor 4-2 with a brace from Moroccan Younès Belhanda and a goal from Senegalese Chérif Ndiaye. Ümraniyespor (17th) thrashed Sivasspor (11th) 4-1. Nigerian Olarenwaju Kayode scored the promoted side's last goal, while the visitors' goal was scored by Ivorian Max-Alain Gradel.
Hat-trick for Rooney, Nuradin decisive
Ghanaian Ibrahim Mustapha earned Linz ASK (3rd) a 1-1 draw at Klegenfurt in matchday 28 of the Austrian championship. In Azerbaijan (matchday 33), Sabah Baku (2nd) won 3-0 at Kapaz with a goal from Nigerian Emmanuel Apeh. But the player who stood out most was Cameroonian Wankewai Rooney, who scored a hat-trick in Turan's (6th) big win over Neftchi Baku.
In Belarus (matchday 7), Nigerian Idris Nuradin earned Smorgon (8th) a 1-0 win over Naftan. FC Minsk (10th) were held 2-2 at home by Gomel despite a goal from Gabonese Rody Junior Effonghe.
In Bulgaria (matchday 30), Malian Aboubacar Toungara earned Arda (8th) a 1-1 draw at Lokomotiv Sofia. In matchday 33 of the Cyprus championship, Apollon Limassol (5th) won 2-1 at Omonia Nicosia thanks to a brace from Egyptian Amr Warda.
In Croatia (matchday 33), Istra 1961 drew 2-2 at Rijeka, with Algerian Monsef Bakrar among the scorers. Hajduk Split (2nd) comfortably beat Lokomotiv Zagreb 3-0 with a goal from Moroccan Yassine Benrahou.
Warda brace in Cyprus
In Denmark (matchday 27), Randers (5th) lost 1-3 at home to Brondby despite a goal from Nigerian Stephen Odey. Senegalese Mechini Gomis and Cameroonian Vinny Nkwinga scored two of Paide's four goals (7th) in a 4-1 win at Kuressaare in matchday 11 of the Estonian championship. Levadia Tallinn (1st) suffered their first defeat of the season, 1-2 to Harju JK, despite a goal from Ghanaian Ernest Agyiri.
In Georgia (matchday 12), Saburtalo (4th) beat Shukura 2-1 with a goal from Malian Sheikne Sila. In matchday 32 of the Greek championship (relegation play-offs), Atromitos beat Panetolikos 2-0 with a goal from Guinean Aguibou Camara, while OFI Crete were held 2-2 by Ionikos despite a goal from Malian Nouha Dicko.
Keita, a goal and a defeat
In Hungary (matchday 30), Ferencvaros (1st) easily beat Kisvarda 3-0 with a goal from Moroccan Samy Mmaee.
In Israel (matchday 32), Hapoel Hadera (12th) won 3-2 at Sakhnin thanks in part to goals from Ivorian Jonathan Cissé and Nigerian Steven Alfred. Nigerian Otto John gave Dukagjini (4th) a 1-0 win over Malisheva in matchday 32 of the Kosovo championship, while Gambian Madi Fatty scored one of Trepça 89's three goals (8th) in a 3-1 win over Drenica.
In North Macedonia (matchday 28), Shkupi (2nd) beat Shkendija 2-1 with a goal from Nigerian Sunday Adetunji, while Cameroonian Aimé Gando scored one of Rabotnicki's five goals (7th) in a 5-4 win over Bregalnica. In Moldova (title play-offs), Milsami (4th) comfortably beat Stinful Gheorghe 3-0, with a goal from Malian Mamadou Harouna Camara among them.
In the Czech Republic (matchday 31), Nigerian Muhamed Tijani scored again in Ostrava's (11th) 4-0 win over Brno, while his compatriot Rafiu Durosinmi scored for Plzen (3rd) in a 2-2 draw with Slovacko. Ivorian Ismaël Diomandé scored one of Petrolu Ploiesti's two goals (7th) in a 2-1 win at Chindia in the relegation play-offs in Romania.
In Russia (matchday 29), Burkinabé Mohamed Konaté scored twice in Akhmat Grozny's emphatic 5-1 win over Torpedo Moscow, while Spartak Moscow (4th) lost 2-3 to Zenit Saint Petersburg despite a goal from Senegalese Keita Baldé.
In Serbia (matchday 34), Spartak Subotica drew 1-1 at Mladost GAT thanks to Ghanaian Edmund Addo.
Alexis BILLEBAULT