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La Liga has been blessed with some of the best attacking talents in the modern game. There was a time not long ago when Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi would make goalscoring look as easy as falling off a log.
The best part though is that some forwards have actually even provided competition to the dominant duo. La Liga teams have dominated the European competition in the 21st century even though their superiority has waned a little over the past couple of seasons.
La Liga is one of the most entertaining professional leagues in the world and that has a lot to do with the quality of the strikers that ply their trade in Spain. On that note, let's take a look at the five best forwards in the La Liga this season.
#5 Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Lionel Messi has been nowhere near his best this season. That has a lot to do with all the problems that were brewing under the surface at the Camp Nou. Things came to a head and Messi even threatened to leave the club ahead of the new season.
It is only natural for anyone coming from such a turbulent setup to find the rigors of a new season a little hard to keep up with. But make no mistake though, an average Lionel Messi is still an elite footballer.
Messi has scored five goals from across 11 appearances in the La Liga. He has also scored three goals in the UEFA Champions League. Despite his low numbers (by his own standards), Messi continues to the cog in Barcelona's system that makes them tick.
#4 Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid)
Atletico Madrid shelled out in excess of €100 million to sign Joao Felix from Benfica. When they invested so much money in him, they were aware of the fact that expecting immediate returns would be a foolish thing to do. After all, Felix was only 19-years-old when he signed for the Rojiblancos.
He did a decent job in his debut season and is now looking all set to follow that up with a stellar second campaign. Felix has already scored five goals and provided two assists this season from 11 appearances. He has only started in seven games so far.
Felix has not only been one of the best Atletico Madrid players this season, he has also been one of the best players in the league up until now.
#3 Gerard Moreno (Villarreal)
Gerard Moreno's left-footed strikes are a joy to watch. After enjoying a prolific spell last season, where he scored 18 goals and provided 5 assists in the 2019/20 season, he has kept at it this season.
Moreno stands out among the crowd because he is just as good at picking a pass in the final third as he is at slotting the ball home past the goalkeeper without any hassle.
Gerard Moreno has scored six goals this season and set up one across 11 appearances so far this season. Villarreal are currently sitting at fourth on the La Liga table and maintain a relatively healthy goal difference and they rely a lot on the 28-year-old Spaniard who continues to excel in front of goal.
#2 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Even after so many of his contemporaries came, saw and conquered and left, Karim Benzema has stayed put at Real Madrid and continues to deliver at a high-level and he is going to turn 33 in a few days' time.
Benzema is one of the best strikers of the 21st century without a doubt and has consistently produced the goods for Real Madrid. Sure, he has been at the receiving end of a lot of criticism many times but he has ultimately been a dependable presence in the frontline for Los Blancos.
The Frenchman has scored six goals and turned provider thrice already this season from 11 appearances. He has been prolific in the UEFA Champions League this season as well scoring four goals from five appearances so far.
#1 Iago Aspas (Celta Vigo)
Hands down, the best forward in the La Liga so far this season. Iago Aspas has consistently provided the goods for Celta Vigo over the last five seasons or so. Celta Vigo survived the drop by the skin of their teeth last season but are currently sitting at ninth on the table.
Iago Aspas has a lot to do with that. He has been the main creative force in attack and has already scored seven goals in addition to providing four assists from across 13 appearances so far this term. To put it in other words, he has been directly involved in 11 goals from 13 outings.
He was excellent against Cadiz this past weekend, scoring a brace and assisting a third as Celta Vigo won the game 4-0. He has been particularly menacing of late, scoring three and assisting three in his last four games.
