They are the fans’ favourites at their own clubs, but there’s a breed of striker who delivers season after season, goes under the radar and has opposing fans shaking their heads in disbelief.
La Liga is blessed by some of the finest goal scorers in world football. Currently, Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema is the hottest striker in world football, having fired Los Blancos to league and European glory. But take a look at the La Liga 2022 highlights and you might well see some players you hadn’t expected. They aren’t all prolific goal scorers but they are feared by defenders for their menace, skills and threat in the final third.
They score spectacular goals, tap ins, bullet headers and the odd fluke, and to their teams these goal scorers are worth their weight in gold. Though one or two of them may be heading for pastures new…
Iago Aspas: Celta Vigo
For much of the season it seemed like Real Madrid youngster Vinicius Junior was set to follow Benzema into second place in the race for the Golden Boot. But a goal in Celta’s 3-1 defeat to Barcelona in May meant Aspas ended up on 18 goals and that took second place and made it 121 from 235 games for the striker since he returned to the club in 2015.
Aspas is a Celta legend, scoring 46 goals in 139 games in his first stint at the club, before he took a couple of seasons, at Liverpool and Sevilla, to work out that home is where the heart is, and he returned to Galicia where he has legendary status.
Now 34, Aspas he is in the twilight of his career but I wouldn’t bet against him being in the top ten strikers again next season.
Enes Unal: Getafe
25-year-old Turkish striker Enes Unal had his best campaign of his career so far, scoring 16 goals. And they were absolutely priceless as they fired Los Azulones to safety, finishing on 39 points and just a single point above relegated Granada. Getafe struggled for goals, managing just 33 for the season so Unal’s contribution was a fraction under 50 per cent.
He stunned Real Madrid with an early goal in January which gave Getafe a 1-0 win and ended Los Blancos 15 match winning run.
A Manchester City academy product, Unal can kick on now and realize his undoubted potential. That may mean a move at some stage and reports have surfaced that he is being closely watched by Liverpool.
Marco Asensio: Real Madrid
After eight years as a Real Madrid player Marco Asensio looks like he might be on the way out. With just a year left on his contract the 26-year-old Spaniard has also been linked with a move to Liverpool; but would that be wise for both the player and his current club?
Alongside Benzema and Vinicius, Asensio has terrorized opposing defences with his pace, close control and clever use of the ball. He scored ten goals during the 2021/22 campaign and his 71 per cent shot accuracy was the highest of any player scoring ten or more. While the next few weeks might determine whether or not Asensio is a Los Blancos player next season; he has high hopes of being to be on the plane to Qatar with Spain in November.
The La Liga 2022 betting odds here at SBOTOP are pointing to a battle royal between Los Blancos, Barcelona and Atleti, and Asesnio is the type of player Real might wish they had, should he walk out through the door. But such are the riches at the Santiago Bernabeu; Asensio might struggle to make the starting line-up when Los Blancos kick off their 2022/23 campaign against newly promoted Almeria.
Jose Luis Morales: Levante transferred to Villarreal
13 goals and seven assists, with an impressive shot accuracy of 59 per cent, meant Morales was comfortably one of the most productive ten forwards in La Liga last term. But his efforts couldn’t save the Los Granotes from relegation as a 19th-placed finish sees them head to the Segunda Division along with Alaves and Granada.
And the club couldn’t expect to keep hold of their prized asset this time after Morales stayed loyal on the last occasion Levante suffered relegation. So he’s moved across the Valencia region to join Unai Emery’s Villarreal in a cut-price deal. Morales can play out on the wing or through the middle and, now 34, he deserves his chance to try his luck at the top end of the league and in the Europa arena.
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