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In Serie A, the highest goalscorer of the season is awarded the "Capocannoniere", a title that was bestowed on both Mauro Icardi and Ciro Immobile last season. Icardi scored 29 goals in 34 games for Inter Milan, while Immobile scored 29 goals from 33 games for Lazio.
This season, with the introduction of Cristiano Ronaldo in the colours of Juventus, the race to the Serie A Golden Boot was bound to generate a lot more attention.
The record for the most goals in a Serie A season has been unbroken for almost 90 years! In the 1928-29 season, Torino's Gino Rossetti scored 36 goals, a feat that was matched by Gonzalo Higuain in the 2015-16 season.
But with the arrival of Ronaldo, one has to wonder whether that record will be intact come the end of the season. As such, here are the top 5 contenders for the Serie A Golden Boot at the start of December 2018.
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#5 Dries Mertens (Belgium, Napoli)
Goals scored - 7
The Belgian scored his first goal of the season in the 3-2 win against AC Milan in the second game of the league, coming off the bench in the 63rd minute and scoring the winner in the 80th.
He failed to find the back of the net in the next 4 games, a span where he completed the full 90 minutes just once. Mertens next scored Napoli's only goal in the 3-1 loss at the hands of Juventus.
He also found the back of the net once against both Roma and Udinese, before scoring a fantastic hat-trick against Empoli at the start of November. As of now, that has been the last time he has scored in Serie A.
Last season, the Belgian scored 22 goals from 49 games in all competitions. Mertens has 7 goals and 4 assists from 14 games in the Serie A this season, and has scored 10 goals from 19 games in all competitions for Napoli.
He has registered 29 shots in the league, with 18 of those on target. At the start of December, the Belgian is 5th among the top contenders for the Serie A Golden Boot.
All stats via transfermarkt
#4 Mauro Icardi (Argentina, Inter Milan)
Goals scored - 8
The reigning Golden Boot winner is once again in the thick of things in the Serie A. The Argentinean has scored 8 goals from 11 games so far in the league, and 11 goals from 16 games in all competitions.
Icardi took some time to get off the mark this season, failing to score in the first four games. He also missed the game against Bologna with muscular problems.
He found the back of the net for the first time in the league against Fiorentina, going on to score 6 goals in the next 4 games. After missing out against Frosinone after the international break, Icardi scored last weekend against AS Roma.
The Argentinean has also picked up 2 assists at present this season, and is averaging a goal every 108 minutes. He has 25 attempts so far, with 14 of those on target. Mauro Icardi is ranked 4th among the top contenders for the Serie A Golden Boot at the start of December.
#3 Ciro Immobile (Italy, SS Lazio)
Goals scored - 9
Last season was Immobile's best year in the Serie A, with his best return in the league for a season in his career earning him the Serie A Golden Boot. He has been scoring above 20 goals per season in the league for a couple of years now, and last time the Italian finished with 41 goals from 47 games in all competitions.
Immobile already has 9 goals from 14 games in the Serie A right now, and his goals have come quite frequently this season. He started with 1 goal in the first 4 games, but since then, has scored 8 in his last 10. The Italian has 10 goals from 18 games in all competitions so far.
In the Serie A, Immobile has scored a goal every 133 minutes. The Italian has attempted 42 shots this season in the league and 25 of those have been on target. He is currently 3rd in the race to the Serie A Golden Boot.
#2 Krzysztof Piatek (Poland, Genoa)
Goals scored - 10
The Polish striker has been the find of the season, and after a blistering start had left the competition behind at the early stages. However Piatek has slowed down considerably, and the rest of the league has caught up with him. But he still has the same number of goals as the man who is leading this table.
Piatek started the season by scoring 9 goals in his first 7 games. Yet, since missing out against Juventus, that brought an end to his consecutive scoring spree, and the Polish striker has scored just 1 goal in his last 7 games.
He now has 10 goals from 14 games in the Serie A. Piatek also scored all 4 goals in the third round win over Lecce in the Coppa Italia, which means he has scored 14 goals in 15 games in all competition.
Piatek currently averages a goal every 114 minutes played, and has recorded 45 shots, 20 of which have been on target. At the start of December, the Polish Striker is 2nd among the top contenders for the Serie A Golden Boot.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Juventus)
Goals scored - 10
It is impossible to keep this man away from the Golden Boot race in any country. After winning the Golden Boot in both the Premier League and LaLiga, Cristiano Ronaldo has his eyes on the prize in Serie A, and aims to be the first man ever to become the top scorer in 3 different leagues.
The Portuguese started the season slow, failing to score in his first 3 games. However, he has scored 10 goals in his last 11 games since, including 6 in his last 6 games. He currently has 10 goals from 14 games in the Serie A, and 11 goals from 18 games in total.
After losing out on both the Ballon d'Or 2018 and FIFA's Best Awards this year, Ronaldo will have a point to prove now, and will be extra motivated to leave a mark in Italy during his very first season.
The Portuguese currently averages a goal every 125 minutes in the Serie A, and he has registered 71 shots so far, the most in the league. 39 of those have been on target, once again, the most in the league!
If he continues his form till the end of the season, records will topple, and as of now Cristiano Ronaldo is the #1 Contender for the Serie A Golden Boot at the start of December.
Also Read: 4 Records Cristiano Ronaldo can break this season
Join us again next month, as we follow the developments and reshuffle the list at the start of the year.
