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The UEFA Champions League is upon us. The most prestigious European tournament, which could produce yet another coruscating season ahead, is set to kick off from September 17.
In what proved to be an extraordinary turnaround, 2018/19 finalists Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur engineered miraculous comebacks in the Champions League semifinals against Barcelona and Ajax respectively to take part in an all-English final at the Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid, in June 2019.
Jurgen Klopp's side prevailed through goals from Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi - ending a 14-year wait at Anfield for Champions League glory.
The Reds might have lifted the European trophy, but none of their forwards managed to score more than five goals throughout the campaign. Unlike the Liverpool forwards, several individuals, with massive output in the final third, have steered their side to the ultimatum in the past. Those players can set the tournament on fire with their rampant displays.
As we discuss the lethal forwards, we shall look at the five players, who could end up as the Champions League top scorer in this upcoming edition.
#5 Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Manchester City's Sergio Aguero scored six goals from six starts in the Champions League last season. The former Atletico Madrid forward has carried on from where he left last season with an explosive start to the new season in the Premier League - scoring six goals from just four games.
With the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Bernardo Silva, and Raheem Sterling, there's no shortage of supply for the forward. All the above-mentioned names have erupted in the early stages of the new season which approaches as a peril for their opponents.
Manchester City are placed in an easy group comprising of Shakhtar Donetsk, Atalanta, and Dinamo Zagreb. This elevates Aguero's chances of notching up numbers in the opening stages of the competition. The Cityzens might have not fared well in the European competition knockouts since the arrival of Pep Guardiola, but they the squad to compete against all odds.
Sergio Aguero is integral to their goalscoring hopes and he could end up as the top scorer if the English side perform well in the two-legged ties.
#4 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Mohamed Salah lit up the Premier League and Champions League during his debut season with Liverpool by outscoring some of the world's best. He bagged 44 goals in all competitions, including 10 Champions League goals.
Although, the Liverpool forward was not able to scale the same heights last season - scoring 28 goals in all competitions. The Egyptian, who lifted his second consecutive Premier League Golden Boot, found the back of the net on five occasions in the European tournament, counting the important strikes against Napoli and the spot-kick in the final.
The attacker went through a goal drought between January and March, which limited his goal tally last season. But, he has shown no signs of slowing down - bagging three goals in the opening four Premier League games this season.
Since Jurgen Klopp relies on creativity from Roberto Firmino and the full-backs, the Liverpool forward is rewarded with total freedom to roam in the offensive areas of the pitch and execute his work to the fullest in the final third. Should he reach the levels expected from him, Salah can destroy opponents on his own.
#3 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Robert Lewandowski's season deserved to be lauded, but it was truly undone as the Bavarians went down to Liverpool in the Round of 16. The Pole notched up 40 goals in all competitions, with eight Champions League goals (two lesser than leading scorer Messi), but the whole team abdicated to the reigning champions, who were all over them in the second leg.
The former Borussia Dortmund striker scored eight goals in the group stages against Ajax, Benfica, and AEK Athens. There are chances of witnessing them going deep into the tournament this year following smashing business with the acquisition of Lucas Hernandez, Benjamin Pavard, and Philippe Coutinho.
Should the transfer of on-loan Barcelona forward Philippe Coutinho work out at the Allianz Arena, Lewandowski can disrupt the opponents. The former Liverpool winger has an extraordinary vision to pick out passes. If the duo combine, Lewandowski can increase his goal tally this campaign.
Lewandowski's devastating start to the new season in the Bundesliga with six goals from just three games is a statement of intent.
#2 Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Lionel Messi was the top scorer in the UEFA Champions League last season by bagging 12 goals. He found two in the first leg of the semifinals, but it was ineffectual as the Blaugrana were dramatically kicked out by Liverpool.
The forward would have added more to his tally had he featured in the final in Madrid. Barcelona's record scorer is the second-highest scorer in the Champions League with 112 goals from 135 games.
The Spanish giants face a daunting task in the group stage for the second consecutive time. They have to overcome Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, and Slavia Praha in the opening stages of the tournament.
Nevertheless, there's a higher chance for Messi to take part against Lucien Favre's Borussia Dortmund following an injury lay-off.
Frenkie de Jong's signing will lessen the burden on Messi to carry the ball from deep positions The Dutch International tends to absorb pressure from the opponents and feed the forwards. Since Messi is likely to get inside the box more often than not, he could lead the scoring chart for the second consecutive time.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Cristiano Ronaldo has the most number of Champions League titles and most number of goals in this competition. The forward had a poor start to his Juventus career last campaign but still managed to find the back of the net on six occasions.
Massimiliano Allegri's defensive methodology failed to get the best out of the Portuguese international. With the managerial change, which sees Maurizio Sarri taking over at the helm, Ronaldo could attack at full-throttle.
The forward's linkup with Gonzalo Higuain is coming to the Old Lady's aid, and the chemistry between the duo up top has been sizzling. Ronaldo has scored twice against Parma and Napoli in the Serie A this campaign. Douglas Costa will be providing the much-needed runs through the right-wing and feed these two, who are obsessed with goals.
It will be an interesting season for Juventus, who have finally witnessed a change in the managerial position and their playing style. Since the new manager implements offensive football, Ronaldo could take full control of the situation and be amongst the goals in this tournament once again.
