Top 5 contenders for the Pichichi Trophy this season

#1 Lionel Messi

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner took the Pichichi trophy home for his goalscoring exploits last season

When Barcelona maestro, Lionel Messi went on a four-match goalless run in La Liga recently, critics were quick to point to the statistics to compare his efforts with those of his eternal rival, Cristiano Ronaldo. However, the Argentine made a fantastic comeback to silence them once again by firing four goals past Eibar last weekend.

He's now bagged 18 goals and 12 assists from 20 appearances in the Spanish top-flight this term, helping the Catalan giants to reclaim their spot at the summit of the table. He has returned to his best form in front of goal, tearing down opposing defences and punishing goalkeepers at every given opportunity.

The playmaker finished with the most goals in the division last term and was awarded the Pichichi trophy. Once again, he is on track to pick up the accolade, with Real Madrid striker, Karim Benzema, who comes next to him in the race now five goals behind him.