Top contenders for the European Golden Shoe: January 2020
The race for the 2019-20 European Golden Shoe is getting hotter and hotter as we gradually approach the middle end of the season. With another decade coming to a close, there’s an opportunity for players to make a name for themselves in the decade which has just started.
The last decade was dominated by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi when it came to goals. Ronaldo has won the European Golden Shoe four times, while Messi has won it a record six times.
The Barcelona star is also the current holder, having netted 34 goals in La liga last season to scoop the prestigious individual award. While both Ronaldo and Messi are still in contention, other players are running them close.
The likes of Timo Werner, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Robert Lewandowski are all in contention to win this year’s European Golden Shoe.
As we begin the month of January, Sportskeeda takes a look at the top 10 contenders for the 2018-2019 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 Marcus Rashford (12 goals – 24 points)
Manchester United star Marcus Rashford has upped his game tremendously this season. The 22-year-old has been in imperious form in the present campaign and is currently the Red Devils’ top scorer in all competitions.
Rashford has already matched his best-ever goal-tally in the Premier League after reaching double figures in just 20 games. The England international is 10th in the European Golden Shoe race with 12 league goals.
Rashford has proven to be more clinical this season and has ensured that Manchester United have not missed Romelu Lukaku too much, since the Belgian departed to Inter Milan last summer. Despite playing on the wings, Rashford has chipped in with important goals, especially against the Premier League’s top sides and he can only get better.
#9 Karim Benzema (12 goals – 24 points)
Another player who is seriously in contention for the 2019-20 European Golden Shoe award is Real Madrid’s Karim Benze. Just like Rashford, the Frenchman has taken his goalscoring form to different heights this season.
Benzema used to play second fiddle to Ronaldo, but he has been the main man at the Bernabeu since the Portuguese star joined Juventus last season. Benzema has 12 goals and six assists to his name in La Liga this season.
Only Messi has scored more goals than the former Lyon striker since the beginning of the current season. As things stand, it looks like Benzema will surpass the 20-goal mark by the end of the season.