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The Pichichi trophy has become more famous as the never-ending battle between Barcelona maestro, Lionel Messi and his eternal rival, Cristiano Ronaldo during the last decade became heavily reliant on such individual prizes. Ronaldo now plies his trade in Serie A, leaving Messi as the undisputed favourite to go home with the prize.
The Argentine strolled to pick up the award last season, following his record-breaking tally of 36 goals and 15 assists in 34 La Liga appearances. He is on course to defend it once again this season, having pulled beyond his major rivals to establish himself in a decent position in the race for the accolade.
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As the Argentine continues to bag more records, other La Liga attackers are also stepping up in front of goal, putting up scintillating performances and will surely not give up without a fight. Without further ado, let's take a look at the top contenders for the Pichichi trophy this season. They are as follows:
Also Read: Can Karim Benzema beat Lionel Messi to the Pichichi this year?
#5 Gerard Moreno
We start the list with Villareal forward, Gerard Moreno. The striker is enjoying a prolific campaign in front of goal this season, finding the back of the net consistently to keep the Yellow Submarines' hopes of securing a spot in the Champions League next season alive.
Moreno is not one of the names you often hear in a debate regarding the top attackers in La Liga but here he is, already outscoring the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Gareth Bale, Iago Aspas, Eden Hazard and Joao Felix in the Spanish top-flight.
The Spaniard has bagged 10 goals and three assists from 23 appearances so far. He has already surpassed his tally of eight goals in 35 games from last season. While he still has a long way to go to reach the summit of the goalscoring chart, he surely deserves some recognition for putting himself among the deadliest finishers in the division at the moment.
Also Read: Real Madrid and Barcelona gear up to make history as LaLiga braces for El Clasico
#4 Lucas Perez
Alaves attacker, Lucas Perez is also one of the top contenders for the Pichichi trophy this season, courtesy of his amazing exploits in front of goal since the campaign kicked-off. Following his nightmare spell with Arsenal in the Premier League, the Spanish International has finally found his scoring boots in La Liga.
Perez is firing on all cylinders at the moment, having found the back of the net 10 times from 24 matches in the Spanish elite division this season. He also has five assists to his name. With the attacker running riot in front of goal, Alaves have been able to move five spots beyond the relegation zone. They currently occupy the 14th position on the table with 30 points from 25 games.
With the likes of Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema leading the race for the Pichichi trophy this season, it is highly unlikely that Perez will go home with the accolade. Nevertheless, it is an honour be featured on the list of the most prolific attackers in the division at the moment.
#3 Luis Suarez
It wouldn't be far-fetched to say Uruguayan superstar, Luis Suarez is one of the most under-appreciated strikers in La Liga. The attacker is often criticised by the Barcelona faithful but since he has been sidelined this year, the league leaders have been finding it difficult to break down opposing defences and are already hoping to have him back as soon as possible.
Despite spending a major chunk of his time on the sidelines, Suarez has done enough to be included among the most prolific goalscorers in La Liga this season. As it stands, the former Liverpool sharpshooter occupies the third position in the ranking, just behind his partner in crime, Lionel Messi and Real Madrid's Karim Benzema.
He's found the back of the net an impressive 11 times in the Spanish top-flight this term while laying down seven for his teammates. Currently out of action following a knee injury he picked up last month, the former Liverpool man is expected to return ahead of schedule to boost Barcelona in their mission to defend the league title.
#2 Karim Benzema
Real Madrid striker, Karim Benzema might have slowed down a bit in recent weeks but the Frenchman deserves some praise for his fantastic exploits in front of goal throughout this season. Following a mediocre outing last term, the Frenchman became the unlikely hero inspiring Los Blancos as they continue fighting Barcelona for the league title.
Benzema occupies the second position on the La Liga top scorer's chart at the moment, with an impressive 13 goals and six assists to his name from 24 appearances in the Spanish top-flight. That is just eight efforts below his tally of 21 from last season, with about 14 matches left to be played.
With the rate at which he is moving, he is expected to bag more goals and improve his tally before the end of the campaign. With Eden Hazard currently on the sidelines after picking up an injury against Levante the last time out, Real Madrid will need Benzema to continue providing the answers in front of goal in order to maintain their title challenge.
#1 Lionel Messi
When Barcelona maestro, Lionel Messi went on a four-match goalless run in La Liga recently, critics were quick to point to the statistics to compare his efforts with those of his eternal rival, Cristiano Ronaldo. However, the Argentine made a fantastic comeback to silence them once again by firing four goals past Eibar last weekend.
He's now bagged 18 goals and 12 assists from 20 appearances in the Spanish top-flight this term, helping the Catalan giants to reclaim their spot at the summit of the table. He has returned to his best form in front of goal, tearing down opposing defences and punishing goalkeepers at every given opportunity.
The playmaker finished with the most goals in the division last term and was awarded the Pichichi trophy. Once again, he is on track to pick up the accolade, with Real Madrid striker, Karim Benzema, who comes next to him in the race now five goals behind him.
