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For the very best a part of a decade, the battle for Spain’s prestigious Pichichi Trophy was not a lot a race, however extra a private duel between two of the very best footballers to ever play the sport.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit from Actual Madrid in 2018 unsurprisingly paved the best way for Leo Messi to chalk up three extra Pichichi wins earlier than the Argentine himself left LaLiga in 2021.
Between 2009 and 2021, solely Luis Suarez’s exceptional 40-goal 2015/16 season was sufficient to wrestle the prize away from Messi and Ronaldo who produced 50 and 48 aim LaLiga campaigns at their respective peaks.
The numbers throughout that exceptional period had been so astronomical that for eleven straight seasons*, the European Golden Boot was gained by a participant in Spain, a run that was truly began by Diego Forlan who fired in 32 targets for Atletico Madrid in 2008/09.
As we strategy the top of the third season within the post-Messi period of LaLiga, it’s clear and never remotely shocking that we’ve returned to a extra modest interval when it comes to goalscoring numbers. Robert Lewandowski gained the Pichichi final time period with 23 targets, the fewest since Deportivo La Coruña’s Diego Tristan gained it in 2001/02.
This season, we head into April with doubts about whether or not anybody will even hit the 20 aim mark. You must return to 1990/91 and Emilio Butragueño’s 19-goal marketing campaign for Actual Madrid for the final time a participant completed as the highest scorer within the Spanish high flight with fewer than 20.
*The 2013/14 European Golden Boot was shared between Ronaldo and Suarez, then of Liverpool.
Pichichi race 2023/24 – The highest 10
| Participant | Membership | Appearances | Targets |
| Jude Bellingham | Actual Madrid | 23 | 16 |
| Artem Dovbyk | Girona | 28 | 16 |
| Ante Budimir | Osasuna | 30 | 16 |
| Borja Mayoral | Getafe | 27 | 15 |
| Alexander Sørloth | Villarreal | 26 | 14 |
| Alvaro Morata | Atletico Madrid | 27 | 14 |
| Robert Lewandowski | Barcelona | 28 | 13 |
| Gorka Guruzeta | Athletic Membership | 29 | 13 |
| Vinicius Junior | Actual Madrid | 20 | 12 |
| Hugo Duro | Valencia | 29 | 12 |
With a three-way tie for first place and simply 4 targets at the moment separating the highest ten, the Pichichi battle may be very a lot extensive open as we head into the ultimate eight matchdays.
Jude Bellingham, Artem Dovbyk and Ante Budimir at the moment lead the sphere on 16. That’s two gamers who weren’t even in Spain final season and one other who solely registered 16 targets within the earlier two seasons mixed.
The chasing pack contains the likes of Borja Mayoral, Alexander Sørloth, Gorka Guruzeta and Hugo Duro, gamers who will surely not have anticipated being within the working for the large prize at such a complicated stage within the season.
Who’s greatest positioned to win it?
The 2023/24 Pichichi race is one which Jude Bellingham has led for nearly all the marketing campaign. The 20 yr previous made a flying begin to his Actual Madrid profession, thriving in a complicated midfield position for Carlo Ancelotti.
Nevertheless, not aided by some missed video games as a result of suspension, Bellingham has solely added three targets for the reason that flip of the yr and whereas he stays the bookies’ favorite, he’s now at risk of being overhauled as he bids to develop into the primary ever English recipient of the prize.
Alvaro Morata was one other early entrance runner, however his kind has badly dipped off in latest months with simply two league targets for the Spain worldwide since his hat-trick in defeat at Girona in Atleti’s first sport of 2024.
One factor that’s for certain is that the recipient gained’t be Borja Mayoral. The Getafe man’s greatest ever season has been cruelly reduce brief by harm and barring a miraculous restoration, 15 will likely be his ultimate tally.
Artem Dovbyk stays a robust candidate and will likely be feeling higher about himself after a brace in opposition to Actual Betis on the weekend which ended a aim drought of his personal. The Girona frontman is maybe greatest positioned to edge out Bellingham given his place as a sure starter in a excessive flying crew that can proceed to create possibilities.
On present kind although, it will be silly to write down off the likes of Alexander Sørloth and final yr’s winner Robert Lewandowski. Sørloth is having fun with life in a free-scoring Villarreal aspect the place he has fired in eight targets in his final 9 league appearances to quickly stand up the rankings.
Lewandowski in the meantime has proven glimpses that recommend he could also be getting nearer to the extent of a minimum of his early Barcelona highs and the Polish striker could solely want one or two massive performances to really thrust himself into rivalry.
A throwback to the 90’s and 00’s
Lengthy-time followers of Spanish soccer could be forgiven for feeling a bit nostalgic with this season’s Pichichi race extra resemblant of ones from an altogether totally different period when lesser identified names regularly competed for and sometimes gained the trophy.
The final participant completely faraway from the “famous person” class to finish up because the Spanish high flight’s high scorer was Dani Güiza who fired in 27 targets for Mallorca within the 2007/08 season. That’s the one event within the final 18 years that the recipient wasn’t taking part in for one of many “massive three” golf equipment with 16 of the final 18 winners taking part in for Barcelona or Actual Madrid.
Güiza, the final Spanish Pichichi winner and largely remembered as one thing of a one season marvel, didn’t even face significantly stiff competitors that yr with Sevilla’s Luis Fabiano the one different participant to go 20 targets.
Tenerife’s Juan Antonio Pizzi (1995/96) and Racing Santander’s Salva (1999/00) additionally stand out as unlikely LaLiga high goalscorers.
Trawling again down Spanish soccer reminiscence lane although, it’s laborious to search out one other season the place the race has been fairly this tight with fairly so many gamers in rivalry. Whereas, it’s nonetheless attainable that one man may hit kind and find yourself just a few targets clear, it’s maybe not for the reason that 2001/02 marketing campaign that it’s been as shut as this.
That season noticed simply 4 targets separate the highest six with Depor’s Diego Tristan edging out Actual Madrid’s Fernando Morientes and Barcelona duo Patrick Kluivert and Javier Saviola, in addition to Catanha of Celta Vigo and Raul Tamudo of Espanyol.
Greater than twenty years on, whereas most of the key battles within the league desk seem like they could be wrapped up lengthy earlier than the ultimate weekend, the race for the 2023/24 Pichichi is as thrilling because it has been in lots of a yr.
It’s as prone to go to an Osasuna or Girona participant as it’s one from Atletico Madrid or Barcelona. Even when Actual Madrid’s Jude Bellingham will get over the road, that might nonetheless symbolize a rare story with the Englishman hoping to develop into one of many youngest ever winners, to not point out of the only a few midfield recipients.
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