Golden Shoe 2014-15: Top Goal-Scorers in Europe, Latest Standings and Leaders

A stunning hat-trick from Cristiano Ronaldo during Saturday's clash with Sevilla saw the Real Madrid star strengthen his grip at the top of table in the race for the Golden Shoe.

The Portuguese forward struck a sublime treble in Los Blancos’ vital 3-2 win over Sevilla, while earlier in the day Lionel Messi—who now trails Ronaldo by four points in the standings—scored two in an emphatic 8-0 win for Barcelona over Cordoba.

Here’s how the top 10 is shaping up in the race for this coveted individual award and how some of the main contenders fared in their respective matches over the weekend.

Position	Player	Club	Goals x Factor	Points
1	Cristiano Ronaldo	Real Madrid	42 x 2	84
2	Lionel Messi	Barcelona	40 x 2	80
3	Antoine Griezmann	Atletico Madrid	22 x 2	44
=3	Sergio Aguero	Manchester City	22 x 2	44
5	Jonatan Soriano	Red Bull Salzburg	29 x 1.5	43.5
6	Neymar	Barcelona	21 x 2	42
=7	Eran Zahavi	Maccabi Tel Aviv	27 x 1.5	40.5
=7	Alexandre Lacazette	Olympique Lyonnais	27 x 1.5	40.5
=9	Harry Kane	Tottenham Hotspur	20 x 2.0	40
=9	Carlos Tevez	Juventus	20 x 2.0	40

Each European League is assigned a difficulty constant (between zero and two), which is then multiplied by the number of goals scored to produce a total. For example, the Premier League is considered among the most difficult leagues to net in, so Sergio Aguero's 22 goals are doubled to create his points tally of 44.

Ronaldo, Messi Fire Respective Teams to Big Wins

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

The two victories savoured by Real Madrid and Barcelona last time out were contrasting in style, but equally significant as the race for the La Liga title hots up. Both Ronaldo and Messi were at the heart of these wins with virtuoso performances.

For Los Blancos, Ronaldo was his usual talismanic self. His three goals gave Real the edge in a ferociously contested game and as we can see here courtesy of Bleacher Report UK, the Portuguese star loves playing against the Andalusians:

What was perhaps most intriguing about this treble was the manner of the goals scored. All three were what you would brand as classic centre-forward finishes and they’re the type of strikes Ronaldo continues to score a lot more of as he gets increasingly experienced.

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Messi remains in touch with the former Manchester United man at the top. The Argentine scored two sumptuous goals in Barca’s 8-0 rout of Cordoba and he could have had a third when the Catalonians were awarded a penalty late on. But the Blaugrana star handed Neymar the ball instead, allowing his teammate to get on the scoresheet himself.

Footy Accumulators noted the difference between the two rival stars:

Indeed, it’s tough to see Ronaldo showing such generosity. Nonetheless, the Portuguese’s extra goal gives him a cushion in pursuit of this title and if it comes down to just one goal at the end of the campaign, perhaps Messi will rue handing Neymar the ball.

Aside from these two footballing juggernauts there was some intriguing action elsewhere on the continent. Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero netted his 22nd goal of the season in a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, a strike that sees him join Antoine Griezmann—whose Atletico Madrid team were left frustrated in a 0-0 draw with Athletic Club—on 44 points.

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The Argentina striker has been a bright spark for City in what’s been a hugely underwhelming campaign. As we can see here courtesy of Match of the Day, Aguero loves playing against the Londoners:

Looking a little further down the list, there are a few names that many will find unfamiliar. One is Jonatan Soriano, who is having a superb season for Red Bull Salzburg. As we can see here courtesy of the team’s official Twitter feed, the 29-year-old scored his 28th and 29th goals of the season on his 100th appearance for the Austrian outfit:

Further down the list, Neymar’s penalty and Alexandre Lacazette’s goal for Lyon in a 2-0 win over Evian Thonon Gaillard saw both of them cement their spot amongst the top 10. But of all the illustrious names in the race for the Golden Shoe, none of the players will catch the top two.

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What makes this battle for the Golden Shoe even more intriguing is that it ties directly in with what is becoming a gripping title race in Spain. Barcelona currently lead the way by two points from their eternal enemies, but Real have overcome a tricky run of fixtures with distinction to cling on in the race for domestic glory.

With so much at stake in the climactic weeks of this gripping season, Madridistas and Cules will be looking to their respective superstars to make the difference. Messi and Ronaldo typically relish that responsibility and as such, expect some stratospheric goalscoring feats before the campaign comes to an end.