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2018/19 LaLiga is almost halfway through and the Catalan giants are leading the charge with 37 points from 17 games. They are being closely followed by Atletico Madrid, who have 34 points from the same number of games.
Sevilla are at the third and Real Madrid, who sacked manager Julen Lopetegui in October and appointed Santiago Solari as his replacement, are at the fourth position.
The race for winning the Pichichi trophy (most goals scored by a player in a single LaLiga season) is heating up. This trophy has mostly been shared by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the last few years, but Ronaldo is no longer in LaLiga after having made a move to Juventus.
Messi however, is going strong for Barcelona and in the contention for winning the Pichichi trophy. Here in this article, we take a look at the 5 players who could win the coveted prize in LaLiga this season.
#1 Lionel Messi
The 31-year-old still remains the favorite to win his sixth Pichichi trophy as he has already scored 15 goals in the LaLiga this season. Lionel Messi scored a brilliant hat-trick against Levante a few days ago and continued to be the player to watch out for in LaLiga.
He remains a benchmark for consistency in modern-day football and shows no signs of slowing down. He has finished 2018 as the top scorer and assist-provider in the world. He missed the game against Real Madrid that Barcelona won 5-0.
He has been playing as a centre-forward this season and therefore, his chances of scoring goals have considerably increased. Messi has also combined well with Dembele and Luis Suarez and has played well together.
He has now scored 573 goals in 657 matches for Barcelona and should score many more before hanging up his boots. He is most likely to win the Pichichi trophy again this season.
#2 Luis Suarez
Suarez is also among the top goal scorers in the league after having scored 11 goals already this season. He is into his fifth season at the Camp Nou and already has scored 163 goals from 219 matches.
The Uruguayan has formed a deadly partnership with Lionel Messi and the duo has complemented each other well. Also, Suarez is not new to winning the award. It has to be remembered that Luis Suarez won the Pichichi trophy back in 2015-16.
Luis Suarez and Messi sometimes interchange their positions in the final third to make it difficult for the opposition defenders. Suarez has also provided four assists in LaLiga this season and been a great contributor for Barcelona. His hattrick against Real Madrid remains one of the highlights of the season so far.
#3 Iago Aspas
Iago Aspas, the Spanish striker, has been superb for Celta Vigo this season. He has scored 10 goals in LaLiga this season and also provided two assists so far. Aspas has recently become a regular starter for the Spanish national team and has improved a lot in recent years.
The 31-year-old has scored more than 20 goals for Celta in each of the last two seasons and should be able to repeat the feat this season as well. Aspas is a very good striker with an eye for goal all the time.
He is a very opportunistic striker who can pounce on every chance that comes his way in the opposition penalty box. However, his team would need to perform exceptionally well if he has to win the Pichichi trophy. Nevertheless, do not count him out.
#4 Cristhian Stuani
Stuani, who plays for Girona, has been a revelation in the La Liga this season. He has scored an impressive 11 goals in 14 matches in LaLiga this season so far and should be hoping to increase his tally considerably in the upcoming matches.
He is the primary reason why his club is inside the top 10 in the league table after 17 matches. Stuani remains a typical penalty box striker who has the ability to score from a very tight space.
Stuani's chances of winning the Pichichi would also depend upon Girona's overall performance as a team in the upcoming matches. However, if his teammates are able to create enough scoring opportunities for him, the 32-year-old Uruguayan can actually give the likes of Messi and Suarez a stiff competition.
#5 Antoine Griezmann
Antoine Griezmann has been a tremendous player for Atletico Madrid for the last five seasons and also remains a contender for the Pichichi trophy. Atletico’s attack revolves around Griezmann and he remains the talismanic player for his side. He also takes the free-kicks and penalty-kicks and therefore is more likely to score goals on a regular basis.
He has scored seven goals in the league this season, not a great return by his usually high standards. Atletico Madrid have scored 25 goals in the league so far and also have a very effective striker in the form of Diego Costa. Costa is a perfect foil for the World Cup winning Griezmann and those two have won numerous matches for Atletico.
Though he is a contender, his chances of winning the award look slim at the moment.
