Europa Conference League assist leaders: Holse, Smit, and Layouni

The 2025-26 Europa Conference League campaign has evolved into a tactical chess match where creative efficiency is the ultimate currency. At the summit of the playmaker standings, a three-way stalemate has emerged, with Carlo Holse, Kenzo Smit, and Amor Layouni all locked on five assists apiece. While their output is identical, their paths to the top differ wildly: Holse is balancing his distribution with two goals, Smit is anchoring the AZ Alkmaar machine through sheer volume, and Layouni has achieved his tally in a remarkably compact six-appearance window.

The top 5

Carlo Holse (Samsunspor) currently holds the edge in the tie-breaker metrics, pairing his five assists with two goals across 10 appearances. His ability to impact the scoreline directly makes him the most rounded threat among the top trio.

Kenzo Smit (AZ Alkmaar) sits second, having logged his five assists over a heavy 13-match workload. He serves as the primary engine for an Alkmaar side that relies heavily on his consistent delivery from wide areas.

Amor Layouni (BK Hacken) rounds out the top three, matching the leaders’ five-assist haul despite appearing in only six matches. His efficiency is unmatched, marking him as the most dangerous per-minute creator in the competition.

Álvaro García (Rayo Vallecano) occupies fourth place with four assists, though his true value lies in his goal-scoring prowess. With six goals in 13 appearances, he is arguably the most potent dual-threat attacking force in the tournament.

Isi Palazón (Rayo Vallecano) completes the top five, also sitting on four assists. His three goals in 14 appearances underscore the heavy reliance Rayo Vallecano places on their wing-pairing to drive their European progression.

Ranks 6-10 + the chasers

The remainder of the top ten highlights a collective surge from AZ Alkmaar, who dominate the creative charts. M. de Wit sits sixth with four assists and two goals in 14 matches, while Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace) holds seventh, providing four assists and one goal in 14 outings. The bottom half of the leaderboard features the high-scoring trio of S. Mijnans (3 assists, 7 goals), I. Jensen (3 assists, 5 goals), and A. Guðmundsson (3 assists, 5 goals). The sheer volume of AZ Alkmaar players in this bracket suggests a system designed to funnel chances through multiple creative outlets, while Guðmundsson remains Fiorentina’s primary spark in a congested midfield.

What it means

The leaderboard reveals a clear divide between "pure" creators and "complete" attackers. Players like Smit and Layouni are defined by their ability to unlock defenses, whereas Álvaro García and S. Mijnans are operating as hybrid threats who are just as likely to finish a move as they are to initiate one. For clubs like Rayo Vallecano, the dependency on their wingers to provide both the goals and the service is a high-stakes gamble. If those two primary providers are neutralized, the entire offensive structure risks stagnation. Conversely, the spread of assists across the AZ Alkmaar squad suggests a more democratic, system-based approach to chance creation.

As the knockout stages loom, the question is whether the high-volume providers like Smit can maintain their output against more disciplined defensive blocks. Will the efficiency of a player like Layouni hold up if his minutes increase, or will the goal-scoring midfielders like Mijnans eventually overtake the pure assist leaders as the competition intensifies?