Top 4 contenders for the 2014-15 UEFA Champions League leading goal-scorer's title

The Champions League returns this week, with Europe's finest aiming to wrestle the trophy from the hands of Real Madrid. Here’s a look at the top contenders for the Champions League top scorer spot for the 2014-15 season.

#1 Lionel Messi

By his own lofty standards, Lionel Messi had a disappointing tournament last season, despite scoring eight goals in seven games. The Argentina captain was frustrated in the two-legged defeat to Atletico Madrid and endured fitness problems throughout the campaign. After a summer of significant change at Camp Nou, he has begun the season in encouraging style.

Barcelona fans are eagerly waiting for him to take control in the Champions League and continue the form he has shown so far this season. If he is able to continue his prolific scoring, he can become the highest ever goal-scorer in Champions League history.

#2 Diego Costa

Chelsea striker Diego Costa was named the Premier League's Player of the Month for August. The 25-year-old became the first player in Premier League history to score seven goals in his first four matches with a clinical hat-trick against Swansea City last Saturday. This cemented the Blues status as favourites for this season's Premier League title.

The Brazil-born Spain striker lifted the award in his first month in the Premier League, having moved to Stamford Bridge from Diego Simone’s Atletico Madrid this summer. Even Jose Mourinho had to admit that the extent of Costa’s exploits so early on in his Blues career were really unexpected. "Seven goals in four matches surprises me because that is not normal at all," he said. "You cannot repeat that.”

Costa managed eight goals in nine games before injury curtailed his involvement in the Champions League final in May and, with Jose Mourinho having strengthened his side shrewdly in the summer, the Spain international has looked unstoppable in England so far.

#3 Cristiano Ronaldo

In 2013-14, Cristiano Ronaldo set a new record for goalscoring in the competition, firing home an incredible 17 strikes as he helped Real Madrid end their long wait for the coveted 10^th Champions League trophy.

Ronaldo remains the favourite to emerge as top scorer this season, with Madrid's star-studded attack now boosted by the arrivals of Javier Hernandez and James Rodriguez to complement the 29-year-old, though his fitness is a little in question and there are also doubts as to whether the holders can be quite as potent following their squad changes this summer.

It has been a rough season for him with Real Madrid as they recently lost to Atletico Madrid 2-1 in the latest installment of the Madrid derby, which was their second loss in the Spanish League, and their second loss to Atletico, who also defeated them in the Super Copa Espana.

#4 Zlatan Ibrahamovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic became one of Europe's top strikers while starring for eight consecutive title-winning clubs. He has played for clubs in Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and now France, winning multiple scoring titles while leading his teams to league titles.

He took the group stage by storm last season, with only Ronaldo outscoring him in the opening six games, but injury curtailed the rest of his tournament before Chelsea edged out Paris Saint-Germain on away goals in the knockouts.

The Sweden star will be 33 in early October but is showing no sign of slowing down, with seven league goals already this season - as well as a new national record of 50 - and he will be more desperate than ever to get his hands on the Champions League trophy in 2015.

#5 Honourable mentions

Gareth Bale also scored six goals in his first season for Real Madrid - including a vital goal in the final - and already looks sharper and more accustomed to life at Santiago Bernabeu a year on from his world-record transfer, while Sergio Aguero of Manchester City will pose a serious threat to the top-scorer title, given his six goals in just six games last term, provided, of course, that he remains fit.

Karim Benzema enjoyed one of his best campaigns in a Madrid shirt till date last season and will be confident of bettering his tally of five in the Champions League, with the added competition of Chicharito an extra incentive. Marco Reus has been beset by ankle problems in recent months but is another strong outside bet to finish on top of the scoring pile, while Arturo Vidal, despite Juventus' group-stage exit, scored five times last season and could well improve on that tally under Massimiliano Allegri in 2014-15.