Robert Lewandowski remains, now with 26 goals, the ever-more-commanding leader of the ESM European Golden Shoe rankings.
Bayern Munich’s Poland captain won the prize last season with his German champions FIFA’s recrowned world player of the year totalled 41 goals in the Bundesliga to finish 11 clear of Barcelona’s Leo Messi and 12 ahead of third-placed Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus.
Second place remains the possession of Ohi Omoijuanfo of Molde in Norway but his season is already over.
Lewandowski’s nearest realistic challengers are Lazio’s Ciro Immobile, Bayer Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick and Dusan Vlahovic, newly transferred from Fiorentina to Juventus. All total 19 goals thus far.
Scandinavian leagues that traditionally play to a calendar-year schedule always provide the initial leaders before being overtaken in due course by the superstars of Western Europe.
Goals by marksmen from among the top five nations in the UEFA ranking benefit from a multiple of 2.0, the next batch (places six to 22) a factor of 1.5 and the remainder 1.0.
Last season Lewandowski was only the third player since 2010 to interrupt Messi and Ronaldo’s command of the award after Barcelona’s Luis Suarez in 2016 and Lazio’s Ciro Immobile last season.
Post a Comment