Who will win the Pichichi?

La Liga’s title race may not be heading towards a dramatic conclusion in 2022/23, but the battle to be top scorer and Pichichi Trophy winner is raging between two of the great strikers of the modern game.

Robert Lewandowski is in his first season at Barcelona, having upped sticks after 12 years of dominating the goalscoring charts in Germany with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, and has quickly silenced those who wondered whether or not he could score goals in another country.

The Pole isn’t continuing to operate at his previous over a goal per game level, granted, but his impact at Barcelona has been felt greatly – his efforts are certainly going to be enough to see the club win La Liga ahead of Real Madrid.

Over in the capital, it’s been business as usual for regular goal getter and 2022 Ballon d’Or winner, Karim Benzema, although the Frenchman’s campaign has been disrupted by niggling little injuries that often affect a player coming towards the end of their career.

The two are well clear of Spain’s other regular goalscorers and will now go head-to-head in the final stretch of the season to become the latest winner of Marca’s famed Pichichi Trophy.

Eyebrows were raised when Lewandowski pushed for a move to Barcelona from Bayern Munich, with many assuming that the Pole’s opportunity to play for another big club had slid by because of his advancing years.

Now 34, Lewandowski won everything there is to win in Germany multiple times over, but is now on the cusp of not only winning La Liga, but beating Benzema to the Pichichi Trophy in the process.

Following the 4-0 win over Real B*tis at Camp Nou, which Lewandowski scored in, he now has 19 goals for the season. Those strikes have come from just 28 appearances at a rate of 122 minutes per goal, with his shot accuracy for the season standing at 56% and his contribution in the build-up phase also impressive – six assists show as much.

Barça’s remaining fixtures also appear to be favourable for Lewandowski, with Osasuna, Real Sociedad and Mallorca still to visit Camp Nou amid trips to neighbourhood rivals Espanyol, Valladolid and Celta Vigo.

Barcelona and Lewandowski’s remaining fixtures

Karim Benzema has already cemented his legacy as one of Real Madrid’s, La Liga’s and even football’s greatest ever strikers, but his thirst for goals shows no sign of drying up.

The 35-year-old bagged 27 in La Liga and 44 in all competitions during 2021/22 to win a maiden Ballon d’Or, and that ratio of scoring hasn’t really dropped this season. The only that has prevented Benzema from usurping Lewandowski at the top of the scoring tree is injury problems – he has been limited to just 21 La Liga appearances at the time of writing.

Nevertheless, Benzema has still smashed in 17 goals for Real Madrid in that time, and sits just two behind Lewandowski heading into the business end of the season.

Real Madrid’s remain fixtures include a tricky looking trip to Real Sociedad, as well as visits to Valencia and recovering Sevilla, in addition to home games against Getafe, Rayo Vallecano and Athletic Club.

There’s also the small matter of the Champions League, which may sidetrack Benzema’s quest to win a second successive Pichichi depending on fitness concerns.

Real Madrid and Benzema’s remaining fixtures

Robert Lewandowski & Karim Benzema – current La Liga goal record

All signs currently point towards Lewandowski picking up the Pichichi Trophy in his first season.

Barcelona’s remaining fixtures are slightly more favourable and they have been far more consistent in La Liga this season than Real Madrid, who may turn their attention to ensuring they win a record-extending 15th Champions League.

Benzema’s tenacity and desire to be the best will see him push Lewandowski all the way, but there may come a point where Carlo Ancelotti decides his legs need to be rested from the start of games – particularly as Manchester City are the club’s semi-final opponents in Europe.

You might not be surprised to know that Lionel Messi holds the record of most Pichichi Trophy wins, having scooped the top scorer prize on no less than eight occasions.

Messi’s first triumph came during 2009/10, when he scored 34 goals in 35 appearances, but his crowning glory was to come during 2011/12 – the Argentine scored 50 goals in just 37 appearance en route to scoring an incredible 73 in all competitions.

Cristiano Ronaldo won three Pichichi Trophies during his time at Real Madrid, with Luis Suarez the only other player to win one between 2010 and 2021.

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