Analyzing Golden Boot Races in Three Top Leagues
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By Jonathan Lewis | 22nd Mar 2023
Football fans across the globe will remember one of the most memorable Golden Boot finishes of all time in the 2022 World Cup. Argentina’s Lionel Messi had a slight edge heading into the final game, and figured to be able to capture the individual award if he could find the back of the net. He held up his end of the bargain, but France’s Kylian Mbappe put on a masterful performance in the second half to snatch the honor away from his Paris St. Germain teammate.
As we head down the stretch of the football season across Europe, similarly exciting races will unfold for the top individual honor in the most popular leagues. We’ll review which strikers have the best chance of bringing home the hardware for the 2022-2023 campaign.
Premier League
In the last five seasons, the Premier League’s Golden Boot honor has been decided by two goals or less. That includes last season, where Tottenham’s Son Heung-Min had to score two goals in the final game of the regular season to share the award with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah. It was a thrilling finish to an amazing year, but the chances of fans seeing something like that take place in 2022-2023 are slim to none.
That’s because one player has jumped out to a lead in the Golden Boot race that feels pretty insurmountable. Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has had a brilliant season, putting significant distance between himself and Tottenham’s Harry Kane in the scoring department. Haaland’s performance hasn’t been stunning, but it is a little surprising that he’s torpedoed his way up the leaderboard so quickly.
The 22 year-old has an extremely bright future in world football, and has made notable strides in his career in just the last could of years. This is his first season playing in the Premier League, after spending three seasons playing in the Bundesliga for Dortmund. It’s pretty remarkable that Haaland has needed little time to adjust to playing with and against some of the best players in world, probably because he also belongs in that class.
La Liga
As the popularity of football continues to increase around the world, even a reputable sports betting platform in Canada will give the fans the ability to wager on elite competition. That includes the legendary battles on the pitch that take place in La Liga, which has featured some of the sport’s greatest players over the years. And FC Barcelona are the undisputed favorite for this year’s La Liga championship at -5000. Yet, unlike in the Premier League, it seems like the race for the Golden Boot in La Liga will be one to monitor closely down the stretch.
Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski is leading the charge, and figures to have many more chances to add to his total considering how potent their offense is. He’s going to have to fend off some stiff competition from a few different players though. Getafe’s Enes Unal, Espanyol’s Joselu and Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema, among others, are all within striking distance.
Lewandowski and Benzema have well established resumes in world football, and adding a Golden Boot to their legacy would make them even more popular. Some fans would like to see a changing of the guard though, which would garner support for Unal and Joselu. If the race is within a goal or two heading into the final game, it will be interesting to see if any of the clubs go out of their way to try to get their player to the top of the Golden Boot race.
Serie A
The leading Italian league is also no stranger to prolific scoring performances, and the leaderboard of Serie A scoring statistics reflects that. Some of the favorites to capture the Golden Boot in that league have not exactly lit up the scoreboard, as Ciro Immobile and Olivier Giroud find themselves in the middle of the goal scoring pack. This has opened the door for other plays to vault to the top and make a name for themselves.
At the present time, it would appear as if Napoli’s Victor Osimhen would have the inside track on winning the Golden Boot, as his minutes per goal statistics well outpace anyone else in the field. Argentinian Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan has the best chance to catch him, but has needed to take a lot of shots in order to find the back of the net. One potential dark horse candidate is Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman, who is several goals behind Osimhen, but has some eye-popping efficiency numbers.
The positive thing for fans of all three players is that the above named players will have a chance to secure both individual and club glory as the season progresses. All three of their teams are playing well in Serie A, and have a chance to contend. Napoli is on pace to record one of the best season’s in Serie A history.
Jonathan Lewis is an MFF sports writer
