Golden Shoe 2014-15: Leading Goalscorers in Europe, Latest Table and Points

Sergio Aguero's excellent hat-trick in Manchester City's 6-0 win over Queens Park Rangers put him on 25 goals for the season, solidifying third spot in the 2015 European Golden Shoe rankings.

Current leader Cristiano Ronaldo failed to score during Real Madrid's 2-2 draw with Valencia, while second-placed Lionel Messi also didn't hit the mark in Barcelona's 2-0 win over Real Sociedad. The duo, on 42 and 40 La Liga goals, respectively, remain untouchable.

Here's a look at the current rankings:

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	Sergio Aguero	Manchester City	25 x 2	50
4	Jonatan Soriano	Red Bull Salzburg	30 x 1.5	45
=5	Antoine Griezmann	Atletico Madrid	22 x 2	44
=5	Neymar	Barcelona	22 x 2	44
=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
=9	Carlos Bacca	Sevilla	20 x 2.0	40

Points are calculated via the simple method of goals multiplied by difficulty factor. Each European division is given a difficulty score—maxing out with X2 for divisions including the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A—to produce an overall tally.

Aguero, Soriano Continue to Climb the Rankings

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Aguero's name is synonymous with City beating QPR due to that 2012 title-winning goal. While Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler wasn't screaming his name to the rafters on this occasion, he did marvel in the brilliance of a City side who are playing pressure-free football now that the Premier League title has escaped them.

QPR were relegated after their dismal showing at the Etihad Stadium, which was defined by Aguero having a part to play in five of the six goals. He netted three—including a penalty for the third—and won the free-kick that led to Aleksandar Kolarov's goal. Aguero also set up James Milner for a tap-in.

While a disappointing season for City, Sky Sports noted how Aguero has reached his highest landmark at the club:

He is well beyond Tottenham's Harry Kane (20 goals) and Chelsea's Diego Costa (19 goals) as the English division's top scorer. Stuart Brennan of the Manchester Evening News believes the Argentinian deserves more recognition:

EuroFootball/Getty Images

Elsewhere, Red Bull Salzburg's Jonatan Soriano netted his 30th of the Austrian Bundesliga campaign, moving him into an impressive fourth position on the rankings. The Spaniard has racked up nine in his last seven league games, per WhoScored.com, and is only hampered by the division's 1.5 difficulty factor lacking compared to the Premier League.

Soriano also scored six in eight Europa League performances this campaign and deserves to be considered for a major move. He has remained a clinical finisher throughout his career, as highlighted below:

Barcelona's Neymar was the only other member of the top 10 to increase his total in the last round of matches.

With two La Liga matches left, Ronaldo must feel he is close to securing the Golden Shoe for a second consecutive year. Messi and Barcelona are one win from confirming the Spanish title, however, so Leo is unlikely to lose much sleep.