Europe’s Golden Shoe Race: Who Will Win in 2021-22?
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By Jonathan Lewis | 25th FEB 2022
The race for the 2021/22 European Golden Shoe is heating up, and it is time to take a look at the ten most prolific goal-getters in Europe’s top-five leagues this season.
If you are looking to bet on the Golden Shoe winner or anything else in football, make sure you read the BetNow review before selecting which bookmaker to go with. And for your Golden Shoe pick, read this article – the usual suspects are no longer the favourites this year.
For the first time in years, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are well off the European Golden Shoe pace, with the latter experiencing his worst scoring campaign as far as anyone remembers.
Messi’s blockbuster move to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer has not panned out as expected so far, while his arch-rival continues to shine at Manchester United.
However, Ronaldo’s tally of nine Premier League goals scored this season is well below his high standards, as he has also failed to make the top-ten list (via Goal).
#1 Robert Lewandowski – Bayern Munich (28 goals)
The defending European Golden Shoe holder appears to be on the verge of winning the prize for the second season running, as he continues to score at will, even at the age of 33 as he also eyes the all-time Bundesliga top scorer record.
Lewandowski has already tallied a staggering 28 goals in only 23 Bundesliga appearances this season, laying the foundation for another 40+ goal campaign.
His second-half brace helped Bayern come from behind to beat basement boys Greuther Furth 4-1 at the weekend, meaning he has only drawn a blank in five of his 23 league outings this term.
#2 Patrik Schick – Bayer Leverkusen (20 goals)
After going from strength to strength at Euro 2022 with the Czech Republic, the 26-year-old has carried his predatory form into the 2021/22 Bundesliga season.
Schick currently trails his Munich counterpart by eight goals, having racked up 20 goals from as many league games this season, establishing himself as the second most-prolific striker on this list.
Apart from challenging Lewandowski for a flattering award, the ex-Roma star also spearheads Bayer Leverkusen’s top-four pursuit in Germany’s top-flight.
#3 Ciro Immobile – Lazio (19 goals)
Lazio’s talismanic marksman has set the tone for another Capocannoniere season, having scored 19 goals from his 21 Serie A appearances so far.
Immobile, who currently tops the Serie A scoring charts ahead of Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic by the tiniest of margins, is eyeing up his fourth Serie A Golden Boot.
With 12 league fixtures left to go, though, he is unlikely to meet his record-breaking 2019/20 exploits when he lifted the European Golden Shoe with 36 goals under his belt.
#4 Dusan Vlahovic – Juventus (18 goals)
Vlahovic has picked up where he left off at Fiorentina, continuing to torment Serie A defences on the back of his big-money winter switch to Turin.
Widely considered the future European Golden Shoe winner, the Serb may be powerless to stop Lewandowski from defending his crown this season, but watch out for him in the future.
#5 Karim Benzema – Real Madrid (18 goals)
Despite being in the autumn of his playing career, the France international is enjoying his most prolific time at Real Madrid as he leads the scoring board in La Liga with 18 strikes.
After being forced to live in the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo for years, Benzema has rolled back the years at the Santiago Bernabeu, soaking up the limelight as Carlo Ancelotti’s main man up top.
#6 Mohamed Salah – Liverpool (17 goals)
The Egyptian’s scoring prowess has been off the charts in the Premier League over the past few years and nothing has changed this season.
Having scored in a number of high-profile league matches this term, Salah is already waltzing away with what would be his third Premier League Golden Boot triumph in five years.
#7 Erling Haaland – Borussia Dortmund (16 goals)
An injury-riddled season, coupled with Borussia Dortmund’s topsy-turvy performances, is the only reason the Norwegian whizz-kid sits seventh on this list.
Haaland’s eye-catching scoring ability has earned him a reputation as a formidable goalscorer in the Bundesliga as he braces himself for a mega-money move away from the Signal Iduna Park in the summer.
#8 Anthony Modeste – Koln (15 goals)
Perhaps an unexpected name in the run-in, Modeste has defied every expectation the Koln faithful had for him ahead of this season following a few troublesome years.
The veteran striker has bypassed the likes of Marco Reus and Serge Gnabry, amongst others, in the Bundesliga scoring charts, turning his side into outside top-four candidates.
#9 Wissam Ben Yedder – Monaco (14 goals)
When you think of Ligue 1, you probably think of PSG’s star-studded attacking line-up, but Ben Yedder looks to be on his way to beating Kylian Mbappe and his fellow Paris comrades to the Ligue 1 Golden Boot.
After finishing behind the French prodigy in last season’s Golden Boot race, the former Sevilla star is hell-bent on beating his compatriot to the coveted award this campaign.
#10 Christopher Nkunku – RB Leipzig (13 goals)
Nkunku has developed from a bit-part player at PSG into one of the headline performers in the Bundesliga, becoming one of the most in-demand forwards in Europe.
Everything seems to be going his way this season as some of Europe’s top clubs are already weighing up summer offers for the versatile Leipzig forward.
Jonathan Lewis is an MFF sports writer
