The best strikers in world football on current form
As crazy as it sounds, goals are an underrated part of modern-day football. With the obsession over new tactics and VAR decisions, its easy to get swept up in the stats and figures of the beautiful game. That’s why the most recent round of Champions League games were so exciting. There was excitement, drama and plenty of brilliant goals across all four quarter finals, with Villarreal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid just two legs away from the final in Paris.
If you look at each of the ties, it was a great goal or moment of brilliance that decided who went through and who didn’t, and while Unai Emery’s side certainly shocked the Champions League betting odds, it was down to Bayern Munich’s shortcomings that the La Liga side progressed. Europe’s premier competition showcases all types of strikers, but who are the best in the business right now? Read on, as we discuss the best strikers in the world based on current form.
Karim Benzema – Real Madrid
When Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid in the summer of 2018, it granted Karim Benzema the opportunity to become the main man in the Spanish capital. The Frenchman had been at the club for almost a decade and after he missed the World Cup, he was ready to head into the new season a changed man. Granted, things took longer than expected but now Benzema is finally getting the recognition he deserves for Los Blancos. His hattrick against Chelsea demonstrated all of the number nines best qualities, and at 34, continues to age like a fine wine.
You don’t get to play up front for Real Madrid for a decade if you’re a bad striker and while he was criminally underrated at times, his 38 goals so far this season have spoke for themselves, with Carlo Ancelotti heaping on the praise for the forward.
“We have dependency on Benzema, it is like this, we are not going to deny it,” he said in his pre-match press conference. “I am very happy that we will be depending on Karim. It’s a reality and it’s a good thing.”
Kylain Mbappé- Paris Saint-Germain
Although his side didn’t make the quarterfinals of the Champions League, it’s impossible to overlook the work of Kylain Mbappé for Paris Saint-Germain this season. Still only 23 years old, his potential really is frightening and despite constantly being linked with a move away from the French capital, Mbappé has been the most reliable forward for Mauricio Pochettino this season. Lionel Messi threatened to overshadow the Frenchman’s good work since his arrival from Monaco as a teenager, but Mbappé’s blistering pace and versatility have ensured he’s regarded as one of the best in the world at such a young age.
Robert Lewandowski – Bayern Munich
Two years have passed since the first worldwide lockdown due to the coronavirus. Had that season not been interrupted, we’re certain Robert Lewandowski would have won the 2020 Ballon d’Or. The Bayern Munich striker has shattered so many records in the Bundesliga that it’s proving hard to keep track and while he may have been let down by his team mates in this year’s Champions League, he still contributed with an inevitable goal.
The Polish international peaked later than most in his career but was never blessed with natural pace, meaning his style of play will remain the same for a few more years now, should he keep finding the back of the net at the Allianz Arena. His injury record is also very impressive so expect Lewandowski to be one of the world’s best for a while.