Who is the top scorer in Liga MX playoffs? How many ‘liguilla’ goals has André-Pierre Gignac scored?

Not for the first time since moving to Mexico, André-Pierre Gignac was the star of the show as Tigers sealed their spot in the Liga MX Apertura 2023 semi-finals thanks to 3-0 home victory over Puebla, in which the Frenchman scored twice.

How many goals has Gignac scored for Tigres?

The statistics heavily suggest Los Auriazules have never made a better signing and the striker continues to deliver despite his advancing years. After joining the club from Marseille in 2015, the 37-year-old has become the club’s all-time top scorer in all competitions with 199 in 360 appearances.

His goalscoring exploits have understandably led to a significant amount of collective success too, with Tigres having won five Liga MX titles, four Campeón de Compeones trophies, two Campeones Cups and the CONCACAF Champions League in 2020.

Auriazules hoping to win back-to-back liguillas

Now, they will be confident of winning a second consecutive Liga MX short tournament, with Pumas their next opponents in the semi-finals and Club América or Atlético San Luis potentially awaiting in the final.

Following a 2-2 draw in the first leg of the quarter-finals in Puebla, Gignac got his team off to a perfect start in the return Game, slotting home from the penalty spot with only nine minutes gone. And the Frenchman scored from another set piece in considerably more spectacular fashion with just over half-an-hour gone, curling a free kick over the ball and into the net (although opposition goalkeeper Jesús Rodríguez will feel he should have kept it out).

Could Gignac become the all-time top playoffs scorer?

The two goals leaves the striker just one shy of 200 in Tigres colours and were his 32nd and 33rd in Liga MX liguillas, moving him into third spot on the all-time list of top playoff goalscorers.

Gignac trails only Santos Laguna legend Jared Borgetti, who netted 41 times before ending his career in 2010, and Toluca icon José Cardozo, the top liguilla scorer with 43. Given Gignac will turn 38 on Tuesday, the chances of him reaching top spot appear slim, yet who would have predicted he would make such an immense impact in Mexico in the first place?