When looking for the most accurate strikers in Europe, in recent years that search has mainly focused on two names – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Since 2010, the “golden shoe”, which honors the most successful goalscorer in the European leagues, has almost exclusively gone to the two superstars. Only Luis Suárez (2014 together with Ronaldo, 2016) and Ciro Immobile (2020) penetrated this phalanx.
This season the “golden shoe” will almost certainly go to the Bundesliga. Robert Lewandowski leads after his three-pack against VfB Stuttgart with 35 goals this season, the ranking with a huge lead. If everything goes normally, the Pole of FC Bayern Munich, who is preparing to crack Gerd Müller’s 40-goal record, can no longer be caught. (Service: Bundesliga table)
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Haaland more accurate than Messi
And even if not: Two of Lewandowski’s closest pursuers also come from the Bundesliga – Erling Haaland (BVB) and André Silva (Eintracht Frankfurt) occupy fourth place in the ranking with 21 hits – and are just behind Ronaldo (23) and Messi (23).
And yet another statistic shows that football Europe can envy the Bundesliga for its strikers this season. Because Lewandowski, Haaland and Silva are also some of the most effective strikers in Europe.
Lewandowski scores every 60 minutes on average (35 goals in 25 games) this Bundesliga season. Only a striker from a European league can compete there – Luis Muriel from Atalanta Bergamo. The Colombian has been successful every 61 minutes in the previous Serie A season, but scored “only” 16 times in 26 games. The same applies to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Swede scored every 79 minutes for AC Milan, but only 15 times in total (in 15 games).
Haaland and Silva’s quotas are also impressive. The BVB Norwegian scores every 85 minutes in the Bundesliga (21 goals in 21 games), Silva scores every 97 minutes (21 goals in 24 games). Haaland even left Messi behind, the Argentine adding himself to the La Liga goalscoring list every 96 minutes (23 goals in 26 games).
Ronaldo ranks between Haaland and Silva with 88 minutes per goal (23 goals in 24 games). The same applies to Kylian Mbappé, who scores every 93 minutes for PSG (20 hits).
Will Haaland and Silva crack the 30 goals?
Hardly any other striker in the top European leagues can keep up with these values. Luis Suarez scores every 103 minutes (19 goals) for Atlético Madrid, while Karim Benzema only scores every 125 minutes (17 goals) for Real Madrid. And even Inter striker Romelu Lukaku (19 goals, one goal every 107 minutes) cannot stand up to the Bundesliga snappers.
In the Premier League, Mohamed Salah leads the scorers list with 17 goals, the Egyptian hits every 138 minutes and is thus far from the effectiveness of Lewandowski, Haaland and Silva.
If Haaland and Silva keep their goal quotas, both strikers could scratch the 30-goal mark at the end of the season. Provided they both complete the remaining eight game days, Haaland would then score 29 goals and Silva would end up with 28. Last season, this number of goals would have been enough for fourth place in the “Golden Shoe” ranking – Timo Werner secured that with 28 goals.
In the current season it could even be enough for the podium, as defending champion Immobile proves to be not as accurate as last season with 14 goals. At that time, the Italian scored 35 times in Serie A and put Lewandowski (34 goals) in place.
Lewandowski would pulverize the Müller record if he adhered to his minute quota per goal. Overall, the world footballer would have a sensational 47 Bundesliga goals at the end of the season.
Lewandowski, Haaland, Silva – the Bundesliga is currently to be envied for these three top strikers.
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