Top Contenders for the European Golden Shoe Race: December 2018
The race for the European Golden Shoe is shaping up nicely, as the top contenders have begun rearing their heads. November came with a lot of goals, but as we begin December, it is fair to say that this season’s race will be one of the keenest we’ve seen in recent years.
It’s no surprise that the European Golden Shoe has often been won by forwards, and sometimes wingers. Last season, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah put up a good fight, as the battle went all the way to the wire when Lionel Messi won it with 34 goals.
But while the award has gone to Spain in the last six editions, it is very likely that the trend will change at the end of the current season. Although Cristiano Ronaldo has moved to Juventus, the Portuguese is still in the hunt for the award.
There are also a couple of new faces who are staking a claim for the 2018/2019 European Golden Shoe award.
So without much ado, let’s delve into how the standings look as we begin the month of December:
(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 (9 goals – 18 points)
Barcelona forward Luis Suarez has already won the European Golden Shoe award twice, and he is still in the running to win a third. The 30-year-old has not had a smooth season so far, with Barca struggling in recent weeks.
However, his hat-trick against Real Madrid in the Clasico helped push him up in the European Golden Shoe race. Currently, the Uruguayan has nine league goals, which represents 18 points on the ranking. Suarez also boasts four assists to his name.
Considering he has already won this award twice, the former Liverpool star cannot be considered as an outsider. He will, however, need to be more proficient to ensure that he catches up on his other rivals.
#9 Cristiano Ronaldo (9 goals – 18 points)
Cristiano Ronaldo is enjoying a productive season at Juventus at the moment. The Portuguese has settled very well in Turin and is already repeating his goal-scoring heroics in the Serie A. Ronaldo sits second in the top scorer's list in Italy with nine goals, also representing 18 points.
The 33-year-old has scored in each of Juve’s last three league games, a run which culminated in him becoming the fastest player to reach 10 goals in all competitions for the Old Lady. Having won the European Golden Shoe four times already, Ronaldo looks like he is aiming for a fifth this season.
The Portuguese is not far off from the top of the scoring charts and should he continue with his scoring form, he will definitely be among the top contenders for the award at the end of the season.