Top 10 contenders for the European Golden Shoe

#3 Robert Lewandowski- 40 points

Lewandowski is in a great position to win the award

Lewandowski is on course to become the Bundesliga's top scorer for this season after the near-miss in the previous season. Last year's winner, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined Arsenal in January, clearing the path for the 29-year old.

However, winning the European Golden Shoe will need further effort and the Pole is more than capable of putting up a fight. He has scored 20 goals so far this season and has been a very consistent scorer at the top level.

If he needs to win the award, then he will be expected to better his best return of 30 goals, which he scored twice between 2015 and 2017.

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#2 Lionel Messi- 40 points

Another European Golden Shoe?

While most would expect Messi's name at the top of the list, he does face genuine competition for the top spot. The Argentine is one of the two players to have won the award four times and is the safest bet to win it again this year.

However, the 30-year old has not been at his absolute best this season, especially when compared to his supreme goalscoring heroics from previous seasons. Nevertheless, it is the hallmark of great players to step up towards the business end of the season and Messi can be easily expected to add to his 20 league goals before the season ends.

Further, the return of Dembele from injury and the arrival of Coutinho reduces the creation responsibilities on Messi, giving him a great chance to become the first player to win the European Golden Shoe five times.