Europe's top 5 deadliest strikers

There has been no shortage of goals for teams in Europe this season, so let’s have a look at the five deadliest strikers, statistically:

Not surprisingly, Messi leads the table here too.

1) Lionel Messi

1.44 average goals per game, that says it all. He currently holds the record for scoring in 17 consecutive La Liga appearances, and is arguably the best striker in Europe. Barcelona had a flying start at La Liga this season, and they currently hold a 13 point lead over arch-rivals Real Madrid. And that would have not been possible if Messi wasn’t in blistering form.

In his 27 league matches this season, he has had 141 shots on goal, out of which, he has found the back of the net 39 times. He is the third top scorer in Champions League with 7 goals, after Burak Yilmaz and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Statistics

Competition	Appearance	Shots for Goal	Goals	Shot-to-Goal Conversion ratio	Average Goals Per Game
La Liga	27	141	39	27 %	1.44
Champions League	8	40	7	17.5 %	0.875
Total	35	181	46	32.6 %	1.314

2) Zlatan Ibrahimovic

At 31, Ibrahimovic is still one of the deadliest strikers in Europe. The Swede has been vital for Paris Saint-Germain after his 20 million move from AC Milan. He has the ability to hold the ball, is strong in the air, and also has fantastic vision. Despite being criticized for his low work-rate, he has proved them wrong by leading his team to the top of the table.

Ibrahimovic is the only player who has scored for six different clubs in the Champions League.

Statistics

Competition	Appearance	Shots for Goal	Goals	Shot-to-Goal Conversion ratio	Average Goals Per Game
Ligue 1	25	117	24	20.5 %	0.96
Champions League	7	32	2	9.25 %	0.28
Total	32	149	26	17.4 %	0.81

3) Edinson Cavani

The Uruguayan striker has been in sublime form for Napoli this season, banging in goals left, right and centre. He has scored 67 goals in his 96 matches for Napoli since his move from Palermo. The prolific striker has scored 25 goals this season, and is being watched by several European biggies, including Real Madrid and Manchester City. Napoli are currently in second position in Serie A, nine points behind Juventus, and with the current form of Cavani, the title race is far from over.

Statistics

Competition	Appearance	Shots for Goal	Goals	Shot-to-Goal Conversion ratio	Average Goals Per Game
Serie -A	25	78	18	23.0 %	0.72
Europa League	7	27	7	25.9 %	1.00
Total	32	105	25	23.8 %	0.78

4) Luis Suarez

The Uruguayan has been in the form of his life for Liverpool this season, having scored 22 goals in 28 league encounters. He was vital in Liverpool’s recent victory against Tottenham, and is the current top scorer in the Premier League. Suarez has scored 37 goals for Liverpool since his move from Ajax.

Statistics

Competition	Appearance	Shots for Goal	Goals	Shot-to-Goal Conversion ratio	Average Goals Per Game
Premier League	28	143	22	15.4 %	0.78
Europa League	6	19	3	15.8 %	0.50
Total	34	162	25	15.5 %	0.75

5) Robert Lewandowski

The Poland international is the current top scorer in Bundesliga. Having scored 22 goals for Borussia Dortmund this season, he has been linked with Bayern Munich and Manchester United. And his impressive performances at Euro 2012 would have surely increased his value. Not to mention, at 24, his best years are still ahead of him.

Competition	Appearance	Shots for Goal	Goals	Shot-to-Goal Conversion ratio	Average Goals Per Game
Bundesliga	22	77	17	22.7 %	0.77
Champions League	8	25	5	20.0 %	0.62
Total	30	102	22	21.6 %	0.74