Golden Shoe 2016-17: Top Goalscorers in Europe, Updated Points Table on April 3
Just as Robert Lewandowski appeared to be losing pace with Lionel Messi in the race for this season's European Golden Shoe, a hat-trick display against Augsburg saw Bayern Munich's hitman pull within just a goal of the leader.
Bayern ran rampant in a 6-0 hammering of Augsburg on Saturday as Lewandowski brought his league goal tally for the season up to 24, level with Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sporting CP's Bas Dost.
Serie A's heavy hitters aren't far behind, however, as AS Roma striker Edin Dzeko and Torino predator Andrea Belotti both added to their goal counts over the weekend and sit on 23 goals apiece.
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Luis Suarez also notched his 22nd goal of the campaign in Sunday's 4-1 victory at Granada to climb within just three goals of Barcelona team-mate Messi, making the Blaugrana the only team with two players in the Golden Shoe's current top 10.
Read on for a breakdown of the latest European Golden Shoe rankings, complete with a roundup of this weekend's top goalscorer headlines.
| 1. | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 25 x 2.0 | 50.0 |
| T2. | Bas Dost | Sporting CP | 24 x 2.0 | 48.0 |
| T2. | Robert Lewandowski | Bayern Munich | 24 x 2.0 | 48.0 |
| T2. | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Borussia Dortmund | 24 x 2.0 | 48.0 |
| T5 | Andrea Belotti | Torino | 23 x 2.0 | 46.0 |
| T5. | Edin Dzeko | AS Roma | 23 x 2.0 | 46.0 |
| T7 | Anthony Modeste | FC Cologne | 22 x 2.0 | 44.0 |
| T7 | Luis Suarez | Barcelona | 22 x 2.0 | 44.0 |
| 9 | Romelu Lukaku | Everton | 21 x 2.0 | 42.0 |
| 10 | Edinson Cavani | Paris Saint-Germain | 27 x 1.5 | 40.5 |
Rules: Every league in Europe is assigned a difficulty rating by UEFA between one and two, and that rating is multiplied by a player's goal tally to calculate his total points.
For example, Messi and Aubameyang's goals are doubled as they are scored in La Liga and the Bundesliga, but Edinson Cavani's are only worth 1.5 points as that is Ligue 1's difficulty rating.
Robert Lewandowski Looming
It would take a scorer of elite calibre to make a great like Messi sweat in any goal race, and Lewandowski is doing his utmost to ensure the hunt remains a tight one following his hat-trick haul against Augsburg.
BT Sport Football provided footage of the Pole's three-goal thriller at the Allianz Arena on Saturday, with the striker also picking up an impressive two assists for his troubles:
Bayern manager Carlo Ancelotti is fortunate to have a hitman of Lewandowski's pedigree, and Big Sport pointed out just how helpful his contributions have been to Bayern of late:
With a 2016-17 Bundesliga tally of 24, Lewandowski utilised Messi's one-match suspension from domestic activity to pull himself within just one goal of the Argentinian, and only eight weeks remain in Germany's top-flight season.
Der FCB's remaining Bundesliga fixture list is evenly split between home and away matchups, and with Dortmund, Red Bull Leipzig and Hoffenheim all still to play, Lewandowksi will have his chance to test his mettle.
Luis Suarez On the Prowl
It's fitting that in the absence of a suspended Messi, another South American saviour should arise from Barca's ranks to provide the breakthrough in Sunday's 4-1 demolition of Granada.
Suarez was on hand to chip in the opener following a sturdy first-half performance from Granada—and more so goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa—whom ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan joked was at superhuman levels on Sunday:
After knocking at Granada's door for much of the meeting, Suarez finally found his incision in the 44th minute, per La Liga, although he also assisted substitute Paco Alcacer to improve an impressive ratio:
Just two goals separates Suarez from Messi in the Golden Shoe stakes, although it's unlikely the individual accolade will have any bearing whatsoever on how the "MSN" components go about their business on the pitch.
Barcelona will face Sevilla, Malaga and Real Sociedad before building toward a climactic El Clasico at the end of this month, each of which present fine opportunities for Suarez to enhance his score before season's end.
Serie A Stars Gaining Pace
While the star names of La Liga and the Bundesliga may dominate the European Golden Shoe's leading hierarchy, Dzeko and Belotti both ensured they remain relevant to the discussion following scoring displays on the weekend.
It's been 18 months since Dzeko moved to Rome from Manchester City, and the Giallorossi are seeing their investment work wonders after his brace sealed a 2-0 win over Empoli, and OptaPaolo hailed the Bosnian's barnstorming season:
Elsewhere, Belotti scored for Torino as the Turin outfit drew 2-2 at home to Udinese, and while that wasn't the result they were seeking, BT Sport commentator Adam Summerton lauded the tight-knit Serie A top-scorer race:
Dzeko in particular has proved himself to be a heroic figure in Italy's top flight and has now scored 10 goals in his last 10 league games, meaning he could be a dark horse to emerge for the European Golden Shoe.
Both he and Belotti now stand on 23 league goals for the 2016-17 campaign and will hold out hope for a late storm on the summit, with just two goals distancing them from the mercurial Messi.
