The first legs of all four Champions League quarter-finals are now complete which means the race to be the competition’s top scorer is well and truly on.
Manchester City, Liverpool, Villarreal and Real Madrid all secured victories, with Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Bayern Munich and Chelsea now facing an uphill task to book their spot in the semi-final stage.
While lifting the iconic trophy will be the priority for players and their teams, finishing with the most goals is an accolade any forward would be proud of.
Robert Lewandowski, Bayern Munich (12 goals, three assists)
Robert Lewandowski failed to net in Bayern’s away leg at Villarreal but has enjoyed another stunning campaign in Europe’s premier club competition.
The Pole was the architect of the Bavarian’s last-16 second-leg victory against FC Salzburg, firing a first-half hat-trick to set Julian Nagelsmann’s men on course to a 7-1 victory on the night, 8-2 on aggregate.
That remarkable performance has installed the 33-year-old as the frontrunner to pick up a second Champions League top scorer gong.
Injury prevented the Bundesliga marksman from facing Paris Saint-Germain in last season’s quarter-finals, which the German champions lost on away goals, so both he and his team-mates will be eager to reclaim the title they last won in 2020.
If Nagelsmann’s side can continue to bring their domestic dominance into the knockout stages, expect their No9 to be firmly among the goals.
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