Lionel Messi at (1.57): With arch rival Cristiano Ronaldo out of the way, the path is clear for the mercurial Argentine to become the highest goal-scorer in the Spanish league this season. Though far below his 2011-12, 2012-13 best when he got 50 and 46 goals, Messi scrapped up 37 goals last season to become the highest scorer after Ronaldo. Messi’s share of goals could however erode if fellow Barcelona club-mate Luis Suarez hits form. The 32-year old icon has been getting lesser goals since adopting the role of a playmaker and an “assister” rather than a pure scorer. After a poor World Cup showing, Messi may have a point to prove in the 2018-19 La Liga season.
Luis Suarez (6.00) is next in line to head the charts as far as goal-scoring odds go. The 31-year old Uruguayan did not have the best of World Cups and with the exit of Neymar from Barcelona, fewer goal-scoring opportunities have come his way thanks to a positional change effected upfront by coach Ernesto Valverde. But with predatory instincts like his, it shouldn’t take long for someone like Suarez to hit top form like he did in the 2015-16 season when he got an astonishing 40 goals from just 35 La Liga outings.
Antoine Griezmann (10.00). Euro 2016’s Golden Boot winner and world champions’ France’s top scorer at the WC Russia 2018 could have been La Liga’s top scorer long ago. But it’s Atletico coach Diego Simeone’s ultra-defensive style that limits free goal-scoring. Despite their 2nd spot on the La Liga table in 2017-18, Atletico Madrid managed just 58 goals from their 38 games compared to 99 and 94 of Barcelona and Real Madrid. Griezmann’s paltry 19 goals from 32 La Liga outings in the season doesn’t do justice to a striker considered to be among the best in the world. A change of style on Simeone’s part would do a world of good to the 27-year old Frenchman.
Gareth Bale at odds of (10.00) could have a realistic chance of becoming the Spanish League’s top scorer only he were to the play the full quota of 38 games. But that rarely happens. The 29-year old Real Madrid winger played just 23,19 and 26 La Liga games in each of the last three seasons, beset mostly by fitness issues. How Bale would figure in new manager Julen Lopetegui’s scheme of things remains to be seen. Added to all this, constant distractions in the form of rumours relating to a move out of Bernabeu simply rules the Welshman out as a potential top scorer for the 2018-19 La Liga season.
Karim Benzema (12.00) faces the similar problems as his team-mate Gareth Bale does. Although he was able to squeeze in more games last season than Bale (32 games), the brilliant French forward was having a bad season as his paltry count of 5 goals would suggest. Moreover, a blackmail case is one more of the Frenchman’s worries to add to. Rumours flying around of a potential transfer to Juventus also puts a cloud on Benzema’s La Liga tenure going ahead.
Diego Costa at (15:00) certainly deserves better odds. This awesome ex-Chelsea and Spanish international striker is inhibited from getting more goals for the same reasons as Atletico team-mate Antoine Griezmann. Costa was especially plagued by injury issues in the 2017-18 season when we could muster up just 15 La Liga outings. A return to fitness this season could mean more goals for the opportunistic 29-year old forward.
Recommended Tip: Suarez
Best Odds 6.0 at Betfred
