Reliable in front of goal

In order for a team to achieve the objectives it sets out at the start of the season, it is important to have a good balance across the different areas of the pitch. But having a predator in front of goal is an added bonus for any team. And the Liga BBVA is spoiled for choice when it comes to talented goal scorers who week in, week out bring smiles to their fans’ faces.

Atlético Madrid’s Diego Costa, Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi are perhaps the most clinical finishers in world football, but the Liga BBVA is blessed with plenty of other excellent goal scorers. Players like Antoine Griezmann, Javi Guerra, Pedro Rodríguez, David Villa, Sergio García, Piti, Rubén Castro, Aritz Aduriz, Imanol Agirretxe, Carlos Vela, Jonas and Karim Benzema also regularly find their names on the Liga BBVA score sheets.

A glance at the Liga BBVA 2013 goal-scorers table shows Cristiano Ronaldo in the lead with 38 goals from 33 league matches, while Messi and Diego Costa trail the Portuguese with 28 goals in 26, and 27 goals in 36 respectively. Following on from them is Real Sociedad’s Vela with 22 goals. Just after the Mexican on 21 goals are fellow Sociedad teammate, Griezmann, Piti (18 goals for Rayo Vallecano and three for Granada) and Valencia’s Jonas.

With days to go until the New Year, Real Betis’ Rubén Castro, Valladolid’s Javi Guerra, Athletic Club’s Aduriz and Real Madrid’s Benzema all find themselves on 19 goals a piece for 2013, while Spain’s all time record goal scorer, David Villa, clocked up 18 goals during the calendar year (10 with Barcelona and eight with Atlético). Villa’s ex teammate at Barca, Pedro, continues to add value to the Catalan outfit and finishes 2013 with 17 league goals. Spain is well represented in the goal scoring charts with Imanol Agirrexte and Sergio García also making their marks on the list, with the Real Sociedad man scoring 16 times and the RCD Espanyol striker bagging 14 goals.

The upper part of the 2013 goal-scoring table doesn’t feature many players who made their Liga BBVA debuts in August. However, players like Neymar (Barcelona), Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Kevin Gameiro (Sevilla FC), Rodri (UD Almería), Charles (RC Celta de Vigo), Oriol Riera (CA Osasuna), as well as the aforementioned names, are all showing positive signs of finishing high up the 2014 chart.