Krzysztof Piątek: The unknown rival getting better of Cristiano Ronaldo
Juventus are once again unstoppable at the top of Seria A with 49 points in 17 games so far. They have won 16 matches and drawn just one which leaves them above Napoli with 8 points separating them. Cristiano Ronaldo is their leading marksmen with 11 goals and evidently, he has been their undisputed talisman for them so far.
Although the title race looks almost decided, the race for the top scorer is heating up as we progress into the season. Despite the best efforts of Cristiano Ronaldo and Mauro Icardi, there is a new and surprising goal-scoring leader at the Seria A this season.
Usually, when we compare the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, the names of extraterrestrial being like Lionel Messi comes up. But that has not been the case this time around. A 23-year-old marksman from Genoa has stepped up and shown the world what he is capable of. The man is none other than Krzysztof Piatek.
Just over a year ago, Genoa were struggling in front of goal and scored as many goals as the bottom of the table but with the arrival of Krzysztof Piatek, the whole complexion of their attack changed. Piatek made an immediate impact as he scored four goals in his debut against Lecce in the Italian cup and hasn't stopped flourishing since then.
Piatek is now the leading scorer of the Seria A with 13 goals in just 16 appearances. There is no doubt about his impact with the 13th placed Genoa as he is one of the main reason why a relatively smaller club like Genoa are above the relegation zone.
On the other hand, Cristiano Ronaldo had another mercurial start to the season as his staggering numbers prove so far. Barring the 11 goals he scored in the Seria A, he has also managed to provide 5 assists for his club. There is no doubt about the impact of the superstar who was brought in from Real Madrid this summer.
But with the transfer, Cristiano Ronaldo's rivalry with Lionel Messi came to a halt as both players have different rivals in their league now. While the likes of Mauro Icardi and Ciro Immobile looked like Cristiano's rival, Piatek has surprised them all with his immaculate finishing and efficiency in front of goal.
Piatek's sudden and mercurial rise to the very top can only be compared with another youngster, Luka Jovic. Both Jovic and Piatek are dominating in their respective leagues and fighting with the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Mo Salah, Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero for the European Golden Boot.
What's more impressive is that Piatek is scoring almost regularly with considerably lesser options and chances. His teammates are far inferior than that of Cristiano's but he is still striving hard and making headlines with his performance. He has quickly managed to become a fan favourite and his rise is inspirational for people all over the world.
It is no wonder that Europe's top clubs like Barcelona and others are after this young marksman according to various rumours. He has been absolutely sensational this season but it remains to be seen whether he can continue his red hot form this season and become the Seria A's top scorer in 2018/19 ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.