The gap leads the top scorer charts of the three major leagues, will the three star strikers continue their heavy-hitting in the Champions League?

Written by Han Bing Years after the Messi-Ronaldo era ended, European football has finally welcomed a genuine battle among prolific “star strikers,” this time involving three rather than two top scorers. Last weekend, Haaland and Mbappé both scored twice in league games, closing in on Kane. Haaland became the second player after Kane this season in the top five leagues to reach 20 club goals, with Mbappé just two goals away from that mark. Including national team goals, with the season only a quarter underway, all three strikers have surpassed 20 goals, demonstrating a leading edge in European football that is on another level.

Starting with tonight’s Champions League matches, the three star forwards will resume their rivalry. Mbappé aims to “avenge” his missed penalty at Anfield last year, while Kane, who has scored in three consecutive Champions League games, will face tough opponents PSG at the Parc des Princes, looking to maintain his scoring streak. Haaland, who has scored in 10 of his last 11 matches for Manchester City, will play at home against his former club Borussia Dortmund, trying to extend his personal Champions League record of scoring in six consecutive starts (2020/21 season). The goal-scoring competition among these three stars will be one of the biggest highlights of midweek’s Champions League fixtures.

On November 2nd, Manchester City defeated second-placed surprise package Bournemouth 2-0. Haaland, who had been goalless in the previous away match against Aston Villa, scored twice to help the Blues climb three places back to second in the Premier League. After 10 rounds, Haaland has netted 13 goals, more than double the tally of the four players tied for second place on the scorers’ chart with 6 goals each. Counting the Champions League, Haaland has scored 17 goals and provided 1 assist in 13 matches this season, averaging 1.31 goals and 1.38 goal involvements per game.

Haaland’s stats this season are only slightly behind his debut Premier League campaign in 2022/23. Back then, he scored 15 goals and assisted 3 in the first 10 Premier League rounds, plus 5 goals in 3 Champions League matches, totaling 20 goals and 3 assists in 13 games. At that time, Premier League defenders were less familiar with him, and Manchester City also had top-class midfielder De Bruyne providing assists. Now, entering his fourth Premier League season and with Manchester City undergoing a rebuilding phase, Haaland’s continued high-level performance is truly remarkable.

After scoring the opener against Bournemouth, Haaland did not celebrate with his signature seated meditation pose but instead performed a robot dance to pay tribute to Premier League veteran Peter Crouch. British media praised him as a striker as efficient as a robot, celebrating goals in robotic style. Including Norway’s national team where he scored 9 goals and made 2 assists in 3 matches, Haaland has scored 26 goals and provided 3 assists in 16 games across all competitions this season, leading Europe in both goals and goal involvements, currently ahead of main rivals Kane and Mbappé.

On November 1st, Bayern Munich thrashed Bayer Leverkusen 3-0. Kane, who was rested for the Champions League away match against PSG and only played 30 minutes as a substitute, has now gone two consecutive Bundesliga games without scoring. Despite this slight dip in form, the English striker still leads the second-placed scorer by 6 goals with 12 goals. Kane remains the top scorer so far this season, delivering an astonishing 22 goals and 3 assists in 15 Bayern appearances, failing to score in only 3 games. He averages 1.47 goals and 1.67 goal involvements per game, setting career-best records for this stage and surpassing Messi (17 games) and Ronaldo (13 games) by reaching 20 club goals in just 12 matches this season.

Kane’s recent scoring pace has slowed, with only one goal in his last three games and 5 goals in 6 matches since October, averaging 0.83 goals per game. Previously, he scored 17 goals in 9 games, averaging 1.89 goals per match, which is 2.27 times higher than his recent form. Nevertheless, Kane remains the top scorer in Europe’s big five leagues this season, with his Bundesliga goal tally double that of second-placed Pokhart. Including 3 goals for England, Kane has scored 25 goals and provided 3 assists in 18 games this season, an astonishing level of efficiency.

In comparison, Mbappé’s numbers slightly trail Haaland and Kane but he is also closing the gap and keeping pace. On November 1st, in La Liga’s 11th round, he scored twice to help Real Madrid defeat Valencia 4-0. He leads the scorers’ chart with 13 goals, nearly double the 7 goals of second-placed Alvarez. Mbappé has scored 18 goals and provided 2 assists in 14 matches across all competitions this season, averaging 1.29 goals and 1.43 goal involvements per game, marking the best start of his career and even surpassing his less competitive Ligue 1 days. He once scored in 11 consecutive matches in all competitions and last weekend extended his La Liga scoring streak to 8 games, second only to Ronaldo’s club record of 10 consecutive La Liga games in the 2014/15 season. Including 3 goals in 3 matches for France, Mbappé has contributed 21 goals and 4 assists in 17 games, joining Haaland and Kane in the 20+ goal club.

In La Liga (13 goals), Mbappé leads second-placed Alvarez by 5 goals, matching the significant lead Haaland and Kane hold. Currently, the outstanding performances of these three star forwards have made the race for this season’s European Golden Shoe exceptionally intense.