Budimir reaches 100 La Liga goals | OneFootball

Ante Budimir once again showed that the passing of the years has not diminished his ability to decide matches. The Croatian striker, now 35, took center stage against Rayo Vallecano with a spectacular volley in the 16th minute that brought El Sadar to its feet and also marked his 100th goal in La Liga. The move began with a play by Kike Barja and several rebounds inside the box until the ball fell kindly for Osasuna’s all-time top scorer. Budimir controlled it with his chest, turned in an instant, and unleashed a powerful volley that left the visiting goalkeeper with no chance.

The goal had special meaning for the forward, who reached 100 goals in Spain’s top flight after scoring 13 for Mallorca and 87 for Osasuna. His influence on the rojillo side at the start of this season is even greater when you look at the numbers: five of the team’s six goals have come from him. Once again, the Croatian stands as Osasuna’s main attacking reference and remains as decisive as ever despite already being in the final stretch of his career.

After the match, Budimir admitted how emotional it was to reach such an important milestone and explained how special his time in Pamplona has become. “A lot of things go through my head because, when I was playing football in Croatia, everyone wanted to be in the five big leagues in Europe, and on my list Spain was last, but in the end Osasuna and Pamplona are where I feel best,” he said. The striker also highlighted everything behind his spectacular volley: “There are many things behind this goal. I’m happy and motivated for more.” Meanwhile, El Sadar once again enjoyed another display from its goal scorer.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.