Known to many simply as Marius—a nod to brevity over the complexities of his surname, Mouandilmadji—the forward is far more than just a name on a team sheet. He currently reigns as the top scorer in the Conference League 2025-26, a distinction that marks him as the primary danger to Rayo Vallecano's European ambitions.

The Madrid outfit travel for the first leg of their last-16 tie against Samsunspor, a side spearheaded by the prolific Chadian international. Marius has already amassed 17 goals in 40 competitive appearances this term, with seven of those coming in the Conference League. That haul puts him two clear of a chasing pack that includes Franko Kovacevic (Celje/Ferencvaros), Sven Mijans (AZ), Mikael Ishak (Lech Poznan), and Nardin Mulahusejnovic (Noah).

Adding to Rayo's concerns is the fact that Marius Mouandilmadji heads into the encounter in blistering form. In his most recent outing, he accounted for both goals in a narrow defeat to Fenerbahce, having also found the net in a cup clash with Antalyaspor. Prior to a stalemate against Gaziantep, he struck twice in the play-off second leg against Shkendija, taking his recent tally to a clinical five goals in his last four appearances.

Curiously, despite his output, former boss Thomas Reis—who was dismissed in mid-February—frequently preferred Cherif Ndiaye, especially in domestic Super Lig action. However, the No 19 has struggled, managing just two goals and squandering two penalties since his return from the Africa Cup of Nations. Under new manager Thorsten Fink, Marius has enjoyed a more central role and is now on course to double the tallies from his first two years at Samsunspor. He previously recorded 10 goals in both the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons, across 31 and 37 appearances respectively.

His Conference League pedigree is particularly striking. The Chadian frontman has found the net in five of his side's eight fixtures, recording braces against Shkendija (in the play-off second leg) and Breidablik. He also registered individual strikes against Shkendija (first leg), Hamrun Spartans, and Dynamo Kyiv—a match in which he also turned provider with an assist.

M. Mouandilmadji

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