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La Liga is one of the most famous and competitive football leagues in Europe. Real Madrid and Barcelona have dominated the league this century and only Atletico Madrid was able to challenge them to an extent.
In the past decade, La Liga is all about two legendary footballers, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. These two are the best footballers in the world at the moment and have played some stunning football.
Since 2009/10, Lionel Messi has won the Pichichi Trophy on five occasions and Cristiano Ronaldo has won it three times. Only Telmo Zarra (6) has won more Pichichi Trophy than the Argentine international in La Liga history.
With the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus, Messi is expected to dominate the league this season. However, it is not going to be easy for the 31-year-old as La Liga has some exciting players to watch out for this campaign.
On that note, let’s take a look at the five La Liga players who may score more goals than Lionel Messi in La Liga this season.
#5 Rodrigo Moreno
Rodrigo Moreno is one of the most exciting players in European football at the moment. He was influential for Valencia last season and played a stellar role in their fourth-place finish. He was given a big responsibility by Marcelino García Toral and did that to perfection.
The Spaniard has scored 16 goals and assisted four more in 31 La Liga starts last season. He finished with 19 goals in all competitions during the 2017/18 season. The 27-year-old was deployed primarily as a second striker and he justified his manager’s faith in him with a phenomenal season.
Rodrigo is a good finisher with an exceptional work rate. His willingness to run and ability to create opportunities are some of his best traits. He was also selected in Spain’s squad for the 2018 World Cup.
The 2018/19 season is going to be a crucial one for the former Benfica star and another good season at the Mestalla could rank him amongst the best forwards in world football.
#4 Antoine Griezmann
The Frenchman is one of the best forwards in world football at the moment. He was phenomenal for France in the 2018 World Cup and led them to glory with four goals and two assists.
The 27-year-old has played a huge role under Diego Simeone for the past few years and scored 19 goals in his 30 La Liga starts last season. He has also made nine assists and was their most influential players.
A versatile player, Griezmann possesses great technical abilities and stunning vision. He is expected to play alongside Diego Costa up front and it could prove to be one of the deadliest combinations in La Liga.
Antoine Griezmann is at the peak of his career right now and expected to score a lot of goals. The Spaniard’s from is vital to Atletico Madrid’s success this season.
#3 Gareth Bale
With the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale is expected to take the goalscoring responsibilities at the Santiago Bernabeu this season. Julen Lopetegui will rely on his star forward to lead the attack and deliver goals week after week.
Though he missed a lot of games last season because of injuries, the Welshman was able to score 16 goals in just 20 La Liga starts for Real Madrid.
One of the fastest footballers in the world, Gareth Bale is key to Real Madrid’s fortunes this season. If he stays injury free, Gareth Bale could easily challenge Lionel Messi for the Pichichi Trophy.
On his day, the 29-year-old is simply unstoppable and can beat defenders at will. His pace on the flanks and great finishing abilities will certainly help Julen Lopetegui.
#2 Diego Costa
Diego Costa has started his season in a stunning fashion. The Spanish striker was exceptional in Atletico Madrid’s 4-2 win over Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup finals on Wednesday.
Diego Costa was in great form for Chelsea in the Premier League and returned to Atletico after a three-year spell at the Stamford Bridge.
The 29-year-old is an important player for Diego Simeone to overcome Real Madrid and Barcelona challenge this season. Diego Costa is a prolific finisher and deadly from inside the box.
With three goals from four appearances, Costa was one of Spain best players in the 2018 World Cup. He could easily score 30 goals in La Liga if he maintains his good form.
#1 Luis Suarez
The Uruguayan has scored at least 25 goals in his last three seasons for Barcelona in La Liga. He has twice scored more than 30 goals in his last five seasons for Barcelona and Liverpool.
One of the greatest strikers of our generation, Luis Suarez has been phenomenal for the Catalan giants. He has scored 110 goals for Barcelona in 130 La Liga appearances so far.
A technically gifted player, Suarez often gets into goalscoring positions and has an eye for goal all the time. Suarez is an intelligent striker and often gets the better of defenders and goalkeepers in one-on-one situations.
He has scored 40 La Liga goals during the 2015/16 season and won the Pichichi Trophy. The second one is on the cards this season.
