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Another month is upon us and as we zoom into the business end of the season, the race for the European Golden Shoe is also heating up.
The last month started with Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo taking the top three spots, but a lot has changed since then. While the aforementioned players are in the mix, there have been some changes in the top 10 list.
Some players have dropped out after failing to add to their tallies, whiles others have moved further up after scoring many goals in the month of February.
As we begin the month of March, let’s take a look at how the race for the 2018/2019 European Golden Shoe award looks like.
(NB: This ranking is based on goals scored by players in ONLY Europe’s top five leagues and, should players have the same number of goals, their assists will be used to decide who stays top of the other.)
#10 Luis Suarez (18 goals – 36 points)
Barcelona star Luis Suarez has dropped to the 10th position in the race for this year’s European Golden Shoe race. Although the Catalan club is topping the La Liga table and winning their games, the Uruguayan has struggled to get goals.
Most of Barca’s goals have been scored by Lionel Messi, with Suarez’s form dropping since the turn of the year. The 32-year-old has netted 18 league goals this season, representing 36 points in the European Golden Shoe race.
There are still some games to play before the Spanish league season comes to an end, and Suarez could definitely add to his tally in the coming weeks.
#9 Nicolas Pepe (18 goals – 36 points)
Lille striker Nicolas Pepe starts the month of March in 9th place in the race for the European Golden Shoe. The 23-year-old has been a revelation this season and has been the club’s main source of goals this season.
The Ivorian forward has scored 18 goals in the French Ligue 1 this season and contributed a further nine assists in the process.
Pepe has reportedly been targeted by some of Europe’s elite clubs and, per his performances this season, he is certain to score more goals before the campaign ends.
#8 Krzysztof Piatek (19 goals – 38 points)
Young Poland striker Krzysztof Piatek has also been one of the stars of the Serie A this season. The AC Milan forward has settled in well at the San Siro following his January move from Genoa.
Piatek has now reached 19 goals in the Serie A but sits 8th in the European Golden Shoe race due to his lack of assists.
The 23-year-old is one of the most promising forwards in the world and is currently tied on goals with Cristiano Ronaldo in the league.
#7 Duvan Zapata (19 goals – 38 points)
One of the new entrants in the race for the European Golden Shoe is Duvan Zapata. The Colombia international is on loan at Atalanta and is having the season of his life.
Zapata has scored 19 Serie A goals and contributed five assists as well to propel his club to mid-table.
The 28-year-old also level on goals with Cristiano Ronaldo in the league – a stat that proves his proficiency in front of goal.
#6 Robert Lewandowski (19 goals – 38 points)
Another player with 19 league goals this season is Robert Lewandowski. The Bayern Munich striker started the season on a poor note but has picked up in recent months.
The Poland international is leading the Bundesliga scoring chart with 19 goals. However, his goals still put him 5th in the race for the European Golden Shoe.
Lewandowski enjoyed a very fruitful month in February and is likely to continue his scoring run till the end of the season.
#5 Sergio Aguero (19 goals – 38 points)
Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero has similar statistics to that of Robert Lewandowski. The Argentine striker has been City’s go-to man as the club aims to retain the Premier League title.
Aguero currently leads the Premier League top-scorers chart with 19 goals – two above nearest contender Mohamed Salah.
With seven assists to his name, Aguero is now 5th in the race for the European Golden Shoe.
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo (19 goals – 38 points)
For the second month running, Cristiano Ronaldo has dropped in the race for the European Golden Shoe. The Portuguese was scoring for fun in January but has been struggling for some time now.
At a point, Ronaldo was just two goals behind Messi but the decision to rest him for three consecutive Serie A games seems to have affected his goals.
The 34-year-old has also been overtaken as the league’s top-scorer, but he is definitely bound to return stronger as he has always done.
#3 Fabio Quagliarella (21 goals – 42 points)
The man of the moment is Fabio Quagliarella. Despite being 36, the Sampdoria striker is still very lethal in front of goal.
The former Italy international is the top-scorer in Serie A this season, netting an impressive 21 goals and contributing seven assists.
February was a very good month for Quagliarella, who managed five goals to move to 3rd in the race for the European Golden Shoe.
#2 Kylian Mbappe (27 goals – 54 points)
The European Golden Shoe race is turning out to be a two-horse race and Kylian Mbappe is bent on putting at a challenge till the end.
The young Frenchman was trailing Lionel Messi at the start of February and he is still the closest challenger to the Argentine superstar.
Mbappe has scored a staggering 27 goals in Ligue 1 and, with more games to go, has a very big chance of being top-scorer in Europe.
#1 Lionel Messi (31 goals – 62 points)
Lionel Messi is on course to win a 6th European Golden Shoe award. The Barcelona superstar has already scooped the award five times and even won it last season.
He is currently the top-scorer in Europe’s top five leagues with 31 goals and a further 12 assists to his name.
The Argentine is already the favorite to the 2018/19 European Golden Shoe, especially with his rival Cristiano Ronaldo facing some weeks out with an injury.
