Whether or not the Bundesliga is European football’s strongest league might be up for debate, but the consistent nature in which German football churns out prolific goal scorers definitely is not. Nothing has changed this year, with at least two of the world’s most in-form strikers currently applying their trade in the Bundesliga, making this season’s race to finish at the top of the scoring charts one of the most eagerly followed in Europe.
While injury has restricted last season’s top scorer, Alexander Meier, to just a handful of games, many of last season’s most prolific forwards have enjoyed impressive starts to the 2015/16 campaign. But as well as the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Arjen Robben and Thomas Muller, this season has seen Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang establish himself as one of the hottest prospects in world football, stepping out of the shadows and proving he is Borussia Dortmund’s main man.
Here’s a closer look at the front-runners to finish as the Bundesliga’s top scorer this season.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: Having made the move to Dortmund in 2013 from Saint-Etienne, Aubameyang had to wait until Lewandowski left the club before showing what he is capable of. Following an encouraging first two seasons in Dortmund, the 26-year-old has exploded onto the scene this year. With 17 goals to his name from the opening 14 league games of this season, it’s not hard to see why the Gabon international is as short as 5/6 at the time of writing with a lot of the Bundesliga betting markets to finish the season as the division’s top scorer. The problem for Dortmund will now be hanging onto a player who has alerted every big club in the world with his performances this year.
Robert Lewandowski: On the back of a solid first season at the Allianz Arena, Lewandowski has again showed just why he is one of the world’s best strikers. With 14 goals to his name from 14 league games, the Polish forward has put himself in a strong position to add a second Bundesliga top scorer to his collection. Lewandowski made his name during a prolific three seasons with Dortmund. Dortmund and his time in Munich has only cemented himself as one of the most desired strikers in the game. With Premier League clubs believed to be exploring the possibility of signing the 27-year-old, much could depend on the future of Pep Guardiola.
Thomas Muller: One of the most reliable goal scorers for Bayern Munich for over five years now, Muller is so far on course to surpass his previous best season in terms of goals. Despite not playing as an out-and-out striker, the attacker has passed the 20-goal mark in the past four seasons, not to mention racking up over 30 goals for Germany. While he is yet to go beyond 30 goals in a single season during his career, that target looks very achievable for the 26-year-old this campaign. And, yes, Muller is still just 26, potentially not even yet peaking as a footballer, which is a worrying thought for Bundesliga defenders.
