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After the festive season, the race for the European Golden Shoe has been keener, with the last five weeks proving to be very competitive.
Multiple winners of the award, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, are yet to pick up the pace, but the pair are currently among the top 10 contenders. Meanwhile, the likes of Ciro Immobile and Kylian Mbappe continue to impress in front of goal.
As things stand, the race for the 2019-20 European Golden Shoe could be the tightest we’ve seen in recent years.
As we begin the month of February, Sportskeeda takes a look at the top 10 contenders for this year’s European Golden Shoe award:
(Note: 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 Mohamed Salah (14 goals – 28 points)
Despite Liverpool’s dominant campaign in the Premier League, Mohamed Salah started the season on a slow note. The Egyptian struggled in front of goal in the early stages of the season but has picked form at the right time.
The 27-year-old is currently on 14 goals in the Premier League and has contributed a further six assists. Only Sergio Aguero and Jamie Vardy have scored more league goals than Salah in the English top-flight in the present campaign.
He may still be far from his best, but winning the European Golden Shoe is very much within the reach of the Egyptian star. Salah is one of those players who become unstoppable when they get into their stride and he can only get better as the season progresses.
#9 Lionel Messi (14 goals – 28 points)
As unreal as this looks, Lionel Messi is actually ninth in the race for the 2019-20 European Golden Shoe. The Barcelona star has been blighted by niggling injuries but he is still among the top scorers in Spain.
The Argentine has netted 14 goals in the Spanish topflight this season and also has an astonishing eight assists to his name. This is a player who has won the European Golden Shoe six times already.
He may be lacking fitness currently, but the fact that he is currently the top scorer in La liga tells a lot about what he is capable of. Messi is definitely still a strong contender for the European Golden Shoe.
#8 Wissam Ben Yedder (15 goals – 30 points)
The Ligue 1 has become a home to many superstars in recent times. The French top-flight boasts superstars like Neymar, Angel Di Maria, Memphis Depay, Kylian Mbappe among others. However, all these stars are currently being outshined by an unlikely name.
Monaco’s Wissam Ben Yedder is leading the scoring charts in the Ligue 1 and has actually outscored both Neymar and Mbappe. The diminutive striker has impressively netted 15 league goals this season.
Ben Yedder may be an underdog for the Ligue 1 top scorer award and, by extension the European Golden Shoe, however, his exploits prove he could run the heavyweights close in the end.
#7 Romelu Lukaku (16 goals – 32 points)
Romelu Lukaku left Manchester United last summer with a lot to prove. Having joined Inter Milan, the striker made it a point to prove all his doubters wrong.
And that is exactly what he has done. The Belgian is currently the third-highest goalscorer in the Serie A with 16 goals. In fact, Lukaku’s goals have been key to Inter Milan title chase this season.
He has bullied defenders in the Italian top-flight and looks to be getting better with each passing game. Lukaku is likely to climb further up the ladder in the race for the European Golden Shoe.
#6 Sergio Aguero (16 goals – 32 points)
Perhaps one of the most lethal strikers in the history of football, Sergio Aguero has continued to score goals for fun this season. The Argentine has taken goalscoring to different heights since joining Manchester City almost a decade ago.
Currently in his thirties, Aguero is still among the top scorers in the Premier League. He may have been forced to alter his game a bit under Pep Guardiola, but he has not lost any of his goalscoring instincts.
Aguero is currently the second-highest goalscorer in the Premier League with 16 goals – just one behind Jamie Vardy, who sits at the summit of the scoring charts. It is fair to say that Aguero will be fighting for the Premier League Golden Boot at the end of the season, as well as the European Golden Shoe.
#5 Jamie Vardy (17 goals – 34 points)
Whenever Leicester City are flying in the Premier League, it means Jamie Vardy is having a good time in front of goal. The Englishman is in the form of his life, and leads the Premier League scoring charts with 17 goals.
For a player in his thirties, it is astonishing to see what he is currently doing. The Foxes striker has been blighted by injuries in recent weeks, but he is certain to continue his goalscoring form once he is fully fit again.
Vardy also has four assists to his name and his goals are one of the reasons behind Leicester City’s top four hopes still being alive.
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo (19 goals – 38 points)
Just likes Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo also finds himself in a very unfamiliar ranking. The Portuguese has won the European Golden Shoe four times and could be on course to win another by the end of the season.
Ronaldo has scored 19 goals in Serie A this term and is only behind Ciro Immobile in the scoring charts. In fact, the 34-year-old has been in great form since the turn of the year. While he started the season slowly, his goal tally has significantly increased in 2020.
In the last three weeks, Ronaldo has netted a hat-trick as well as a brace on two occasions to propel Juventus to the summit of Serie A. The Portuguese is currently unstoppable and will definitely challenge for the European Golden Shoe.
#3 Timo Werner (20 goals – 40 points)
RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner is one of the most sought-after youngsters in Europe currently. His exploits typify why most European clubs are chasing after his signature.
Werner has run Robert Lewandowski very close on the Bundesliga scoring charts, having netted 20 league goals, two fewer than what the Polan international has managed.
The 23-year-old is the type of striker who has the ability to score with all parts of his body – he is good with both feet and can score with his head too.
#2 Robert Lewandowski (22 goals – 44 points)
Robert Lewandowski ended last month as the top scorer in the Europe’s top five leagues. However, he is starting February in second-place. Although Bayern Munich have been in good form, the striker hasn’t been on the score sheet regularly in recent weeks.
The 31-year-old, however, cannot be ruled out of the race for the European Golden Shoe. He is currently the top scorer in the Bundesliga, having netted 22 league goals - a really impressive number.
Lewandowski’s form may currently be not that great, but he is a proven striker and is bound to return to form sooner rather than later to finish the season strongly.
#1 Ciro Immobile (25 goals – 50 points)
Football is often a game of surprises and there is currently no bigger surprise than Ciro Immobile outscoring every other player in Europe. The Italian is in the form of his life and is single-handedly dragging Lazio in the Serie A.
With 25 goals to his name, the 29-year-old has moved to the summit of the scoring charts in the Italian league and is six goals clear of Cristiano Ronaldo. Perhaps, very few would have believed that Immobile would outscore the likes of Messi and Ronaldo when the season started.
However, the Lazio captain has done just that and is currently the frontrunner for the 2019-20 European Golden Shoe.
Also Read: 3 Tactical trends shown by Liverpool this season | Premier League 2019-20
