Power Ranking the Top 10 Contenders for the 2015/16 Pichichi Trophy
While Barcelona took all the trophies last season as they made a clean sweep of Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League, it was Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo who took the individual award of top scorer in Spain last season, claiming the Pichichi Trophy with 48 goals to his name.
The Real forward had a season-long battle with Barcelona's Lionel Messi and ended five goals clear of the Argentinian—and most will be expecting them to be the top two contenders for the award this year again.
That said, la Liga is full of quality attacking players and there are several who will be aiming for a season haul of at least 15 this term; we've ranked the top 10 who we think are capable of reaching that target and able to get high in the top-scorers list as a result.
Players are ranked purely on how many league goals only they look to be capable of scoring in the 2015-16 season, barring injury, taking into account their team and team-mates, their own levels of play in the final third and the general standard of opposition.
Quickfire Mentions
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While we have ranked the top 10, there are a handful of other players who are capable of reaching 15 Liga goals this term. We're not anticipating many, or quite possibly any of these actually reach the target. However, if they absolutely catch fire this season, then they are good enough to do so.
The additional eight names are also ranked in order of likelihood to reach 15.
James Rodriguez, Real Madrid
Luciano Vietto, Atletico Madrid
John Guidetti, Celta Vigo
Nolito, Celta Vigo
Paco Alcacer, Valencia
Cristhian Stuani, Espanyol
Samuel, Villarreal
Sergio Araujo, Las Palmas
10. Gareth Bale, RMA
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Gareth Bale played from the right side last season but has been featuring more centrally, almost in an aggressive No. 10 position, during pre-season.
He was criticised at times last term but is capable of having a huge say on things for Real Madrid, driving at opposition defences at pace and shooting from anywhere within 20 yards as he does so.
Of course, he'll be expected to work hard off the ball under Rafael Benitez and still provide opportunities for others too, but he's capable of beating his 13-goal tally from last season and prove once again that he remains one of Europe's most impressive attackers.
Prediction: 15 Liga goals
9. Karim Benzema, RMA
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Karim Benzema is expected to lead the line again for Real Madrid's attack, but with a new manager in place and (presumably) more rotation to go on than last year in the first-choice XI, the Frenchman could well end up playing less minutes than last season overall.
With Ronaldo and Jese both likely to game time in the No. 9 role, and Benzema doing lots of unnoticed work to make space for others by drifting wide rather than stationing himself permanently in the penalty box, it would be a surprise to see Benzema trouble the 20-goal mark this season. However, he's certainly capable of matching last season.
Prediction: 15 Liga goals
8. Jonathas, RSO
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Having spent last season on loan with Elche, Jonathas knows exactly what is needed to thrive in la Liga.
And, as opposition defences found out to their cost, he has all those tools to do so.
A protracted exit from the relegated club (through financial issues, having finished last season in 13th) has eventually seen Jonathas rock up at Real Sociedad. With their new-look attack featuring Bruma from Galatasaray as well, they should be a fearsome opponent to defend against this term.
Pace, power, dribbling and heading ability: Jonathas has plenty of traits which make him tough to stop. With better service this year, if he clicks with Carlos Vela and Sergio Canales, expect him to comfortably surpass last season's tally of 14.
Prediction: 16 Liga goals
7. Jackson Martinez, ATM
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A big-money signing for Atletico Madrid this summer, Jackson Martinez will have lots of expectation on him to take his regular 20-goal seasons from the Primeira Liga into Spain's top flight.
The ex-Porto forward is a good fit for his new team in a tactical sense and will have lots of opportunities to show his abilities. However, there will also be competition for places and a need to immediately begin to repay the €30 million fee.
The Colombian will be a vital part of Atleti's hopes to challenge for the title once again.
Prediction: 17 Liga goals
6. Aritz Aduriz, ATH
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Athletic Bilbao won't be troubling the top four this season unless every key player stays fit, Inaki Williams adequately replaces Iker Muniain and they get lucky with the form of Sevilla and Valencia, but they still have a good-enough side to battle for European spots and certainly a top-half finish.
Spearheading the attack and key to their hopes of a positive season will once again be Aritz Aduriz, the Basque battering ram who can beat defences with his physicality, his movement across the front post and his aerial ability.
He netted 18 last term and can match that in 15-16 if he stays fit—he keeps getting better, and more vital, with age.
Prediction: 18 Liga goals
5. Neymar, FCB
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The big three sides from last season are likely to repeat the trick this term, and with so much attacking talent on show between them there will be no surprise if they dominate the top scorers list as well.
In Neymar, Barcelona have a tremendously talented attacker who is composed with his finishing, links well with his fellow attackers and has pace and skill to beat opponents one-on-one. But he also still has a tendency to go three or four weeks at a time when he doesn't contribute enough.
Neymar is capable of 30 in this team, no doubt, but unless his own repeated failings are worked upon this year, he won't get close to that many. Even so, he'll breach the 20 mark.
Prediction: 21 Liga goals
4. Antoine Griezmann, ATM
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A fantastic first season at Atletico Madrid saw Antoine Griezmann transform from left winger to penalty-box predator, the main offensive threat for his team and a player capable of scoring all kinds of goals.
Pace, dribbling and direct running make him perfect for Atleti to use as an outlet on the counter-attack, but he also scored a huge volume of goals from inside the penalty area by being alert and clinical enough to get on the end of short passes or rebounds.
Griezmann has great movement and the confidence of his manager, though, like Martinez (and Luciano Vietto), he will face the possibility of rotation out of the front line. Unlike the other two, he could comfortably feature wide in a 4-3-3 when Diego Simeone switches systems.
Prediction: 21 Liga goals
3. Luis Suarez, FCB
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Suspended for the first portion of last season, Luis Suarez still came up with 16 league goals and showed himself an instrumental part of the Barcelona attack once he returned.
The Uruguayan looks better than ever after a summer of rest—suspended still from international duty—and will again be the central man to occupy defences, show his clever footwork and be the focal point of Barcelona's rapid attacks.
Quite aside from his own talents, with Neymar, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi and others supports providing him with service, it's no wonder Suarez will regularly feature on the scoresheet.
Prediction: 30 Liga goals
2. Lionel Messi, FCB
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As we mentioned, Messi and Ronaldo would always be the likely two to finish as highest scorers—the question is just on which scores more frequently. Anybody debating a reversal of order couldn't be faulted for logic or intuition as both are streets ahead of the competition for consistency, clinical edge and central plans to their respective teams' attacks.
For Messi, his dribbling and acceleration, the ability to change feet and angle of his run and his unerring ability to wait for the right moment to shoot make him near-impossible to stop.
Set pieces, late runs into the box and solo goals are all in his regular repertoire—he'll top the 40 mark again this term.
Prediction: 40+ Liga goals
1. Cristiano Ronaldo, RMA
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The winner of the Pichichi last season and we're opting for him to repeat the trick. Cristiano Ronaldo has pace, power, a regularly free role on which positions on the pitch to take up—and the ability to use space to perfection to maximise those traits of his.
A handful of penalties, a glut of headers off set pieces and the usual unstoppable barrage of near-post strikes from 20 yards will see Ronaldo surge toward and past the 40-goal mark once again with ease this season.
Whether it will be enough for Real to reclaim la Liga remains to be seen.
Prediction: 45+ Liga goals
