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The UEFA Champions League is Europe's most elite football competition. Only the best teams from across Europe qualify for the tournament. As a result, it possesses the perfect configuration to produce dream matchups.
Champions League knockout stages to feature the most elite strikers in the world
The Champions League features some of the best forwards in the game squaring off against the best defenders around. The most technically proficient midfielders will go toe-to-toe to exert their dominance in the center of the park. For the neutral, the Champions League is an absolute treat.
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Footballers dream of even turning out for their clubs in the Champions League. So imagine how ecstatic they'd be to perform well at the grandest stage of them all. Performing well in the competition is as good as leaving a mark on the game.
For strikers, scoring a lot of goals in the Champions League is a huge personal achievement. Becoming the top scorer in Europe's elite competition is simply the stuff of dreams.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the five favorites to win the UEFA Champions League Golden Boot this season.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the stars of the UEFA Champions League group stages. The Portuguese international produced multiple rescue acts for Manchester United to keep them in the competition. This included late winners against the likes of Villarreal and Atalanta.
He has scored six goals in five appearances in the competition this term. However, the 37-year-old's form has faded of late. He has now gone goalless in his last six matches and that's his longest barren streak in front of goal since his early days at Real Madrid.
Worse yet, Ronaldo's poor form surfaced right when Manchester United finally managed to make some improvements in their attacking game. The Red Devils go up against Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16.
The Champions League is Ronaldo's favorite competition. He has scored the most number of goals in the competition and has won the Golden Boot a record seven times.
#4 Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain)
Lionel Messi may have struggled to settle down in Ligue 1 but the Champions League is way too familiar for him to underperform. The Argentinian international is the second highest scorer in the competition and he has won the Golden Boot in the competition six times.
Messi has scored five goals in five appearances in Europe this season. The 34-year-old also seems to have finally hit his stride at PSG and has 10 goal involvements in his last 10 appearances. Those are good signs for PSG and Messi could really shift gears and go berserk from here on in.
#3 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Mohamed Salah has been one of the stars of the 2021-22 season so far. Liverpool were drawn into what was labeled the 'group of death' in the Champions League. They were drawn alongside AC Milan, Atletico Madrid and Porto in Group B. It was expected to be a bumpy ride.
However, the Merseysiders came out of the group with six wins in six games. While they were really effective as a team, it would be unfair to overlook just how brilliant Salah has been for them in Europe this season.
The 29-year-old has scored seven goals in six appearances against top quality opposition. Liverpool are set to face Inter Milan in the Round of 16 and Salah's goalscoring exploits are expected to continue.
#2 Sebastien Haller (Ajax)
Ajax struck gold with the signing of Sebastien Haller in January 2021. The tall and athletic centre-forward has been in spectacular form for the Eredivisie outfit this term. Ajax are yet another side that have managed to maintain a perfect record in the group stages, winning all six of their games so far.
Haller was simply unstoppable for Erik Ten Hag's men. He scored a whopping 10 goals and provided two assists in six appearances. The 27-year-old will be raring to add more goals to his tally. Ajax will lock horns with Benfica in the Round of 16 and are tipped to progress to the quarter-finals.
But beyond that, the going will get tough for Ajax as the fixtures won't be as kind as they have been. That is why despite being the current top scorer in the competition, Haller is not number one on this list.
#1 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Robert Lewandowski won the UEFA Champions League Golden Boot as Bayern Munich won the title in the 2019-20 season. The Polish international is the most prolific striker in Europe's top five leagues and has become a goalscoring machine of sorts.
The 33-year-old has scored nine goals in six appearances in the competition so far. The Bavarians will face RB Salzburg in the Round of 16. Bayern Munich are expected to have a long run in the competition and Lewandowski is expected to add more goals to his kitty before the end of the season.
Bayern Munich were the top scorers in the group stages. They scored 22 goals in six games. There are plenty of goals in Julian Nagelsmann's side and that's why Lewandowski is our pick to win the Golden Boot this term.
