The Golden Nuggets 2010/11-Spanish La Liga

By Sports Magician

TOP SCORER

David Villa has been installed as this season's favourite to win the Pichichi ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, but I see no justification for that. Messi led the scoring charts last season with a phenomenal 34 goals in 35 league games. Ronaldo finished third in the race for the Pichichi with an equally impressive 26 goals in 29 league games. For both players to be averaging almost a goal a game is truly out of this world and highlights just one of the many qualities they both bring to their respective teams.

Villa has never won the Pichichi although he has come close on a couple of occasions, most notably in the 2005/06 season when he lost out to Samuel Eto’o by a solitary goal. Moving to Barcelona may be seen as increasing his chances of winning the Pichichi but I would argue that it actually makes it slightly harder for him to do so. Villa was Valencia’s regular penalty taker and at the front of the queue for free-kicks, but neither is likely to be the case at Barcelona. I can’t see why Messi would be keen to relinquish his responsibility from the spot and will always be in the mix for set pieces.

Kaka’s absence for the first few months of the season means that Ronaldo will most likely be on full-time spot-kick duty and we all know how dangerous he is from free-kicks. Gonzalo Higuain top scored for Real Madrid last season, ahead of Ronaldo, but the Portuguese captain only has himself to blame for that having missed a number of games through suspensions that could have been easily avoided.

We’ll be backing both Messi and Ronaldo in the each-way market, taking Messi for 3 places at 1/5 odds and Ronaldo at 4 places at 1/4 odds. The greater win price on Messi with William Hill is why we are happy to take their stingier each-way terms.

PICK: 3*(EACH-WAY) LIONEL MESSI TOP LA LIGA SCORER (1/5 ODDS 1-3 PLACES) @ 7.00 (WILLIAM HILL)

PICK: 3*(EACH-WAY) CRISTIANO RONALDO TOP LA LIGA SCORER (1/4 ODDS 1-4 PLACES) @ 7.50 (SKY BET)

Sports Magician