Golden Shoe 2016-17: Top Goalscorers in Europe, Latest Points on April 10
Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski closed the gap to Barcelona forward Lionel Messi to just one goal (two points) in the race for the 2016-17 Golden Shoe, while Sporting CP's Bas Dost moved level with the Blaugrana man at the summit with a fine hat-trick for Sporting CP.
Lewandowski starred for Bayern in an emphatic 4-1 win over Borussia Dortmund, netting his 25th and 26th goals of the campaign. Messi, meanwhile, drew a blank as Barcelona slumped to a disappointing 2-0 loss to Malaga in La Liga.
Dost continued his excellent season in the Primeira Liga, with the Dutch international on the scoresheet three times in the 4-0 thumping of Boavista.
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Elsewhere, Torino's Andrea Belotti and Roma man Edin Dzeko are deadlocked on 24 goals in Serie A, while Everton's Romelu Lukaku moved on to 23 goals for the Premier League campaign.
Here are the updated standings in the race for the Golden Shoe after another absorbing weekend of action across European football.
| T1. | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 27 x 2.0 | 54.0 |
| T1. | Bas Dost | Sporting Club | 27 x 2.0 | 54.0 |
| 3. | Robert Lewandowski | Bayern Munich | 26 x 2.0 | 52.0 |
| 4. | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Borussia Dortmund | 25 x 2.0 | 50.0 |
| T5. | Andrea Belotti | Torino | 24 x 2.0 | 48.0 |
| T5. | Edin Dzeko | Roma | 24 x 2.0 | 48.0 |
| T7. | Romelu Lukaku | Everton | 23 x 2.0 | 46.0 |
| T7. | Anthony Modeste | Cologne | 23 x 2.0 | 46.0 |
| T7. | Luis Suarez | Barcelona | 23 x 2.0 | 46.0 |
| 10. | Edinson Cavani | PSG | 29 x 1.5 | 43.5 |
Rules: Every league in Europe is assigned a difficulty rating by UEFA between one and two, and that constant is multiplied by a player's goal haul to calculate his total points.
For example, Messi and Lewandowski'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.
Lewandowski Continues Hot Streak, Dost Catches Messi
Bayern are coming into form at the perfect time under Carlo Ancelotti in the 2016-17 season, and in Lewandowski, they have the deadliest goalscorer in world football at the moment.
After a sublime hat-trick against Augsburg last week, the Poland international kept up his remarkable form at the Allianz Arena against former club Dortmund. First Lewandowski curled home a pinpoint free-kick to put his team 2-0 up, then he slotted a penalty in the second period.
As the Champions League Twitter feed noted, the 28-year-old loves playing in front of his own supporters:
"Robert Lewandowski has now scored in 7 successive Bundesliga home matches for Bayern. #UCL pic.twitter.com/QNRUT1kFwj
— Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 8, 2017"
Sports journalist Cristian Nyari also hailed the class of the Bayern No. 9, suggesting he's among the finest footballers on the planet:
The goals took Lewandowski to 26 for the Bundesliga season, one clear of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who had a quiet day for Dortmund at the Allianz Arena. Crucially in the race for the Golden Shoe, the Bayern sharpshooter is just one back on Messi now.
The diminutive Barca man tried his utmost to help his team to a win over Malaga on Saturday, but they were beaten 2-0 at La Rosaleda. For Messi and his team-mates, the loss is a massive blow to their La Liga title chances, with Real Madrid three points clear having played a game fewer.
Messi has company at the top too, with Dost continuing to show his predatory instincts in Portugal's top flight.
Last month the 27-year-old enjoyed a run of six goals in a couple of games, and while he wasn't on the scoresheet in his last two outings, Boavista were on the end of a striking masterclass from Dost. His 25th, 26th and 27th goals of the season put him in a brilliant position to challenge for this coveted individual accolade.
Elsewhere, Belotti continued his remarkable campaign for Torino, with a goal and an assist helping them to a 3-2 win over Cagliari. As relayed by Squawka Football, he's been ruthless in front of goal this term:
Dzeko remains in contention for the Capocannoniere, though, as he found the net again for Roma in a 3-0 win at Bologna. The Bosnia-Herzegovina international is relishing leading the line for Luciano Spalletti's side.
Another player enjoying being his team's focal point is Cavani, who continued his incredible season with two more goals for Paris Saint-Germain in a 4-0 win over Guingamp on Sunday.
The Uruguay international has been a menace to opposition defenders in 2016-17 with his physicality and dynamism. And while his inconsistency may frustrate some, Cavani's ability to find space so often makes him one of the most dangerous attackers in the game.
Bleacher Report UK broke down the numbers behind the finest season of the striker's career:
In the Premier League, Lukaku now has four more goals than any other player in English football's top flight, with the Belgian rediscovering his best form at Goodison Park on Sunday.
A thumping header and a right-footed poacher's effort summed up his ability to score all types of goals, helping the Toffees to a 4-2 win over champions Leicester City.
