Will Mohamed Salah beat Harry Kane to the European Golden Shoe? | OneFootball

On Sunday afternoon, Bayern Munich overcame Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0 at the Allianz Arena to maintain their eight-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga table.

However, missing from the scoresheet was Der Rekordmeister’s record signing, Harry Kane.

The Englishman had started the campaign in his typical unstoppable self, scoring goals for fun, registering 14 goals in the opening eleven Bundesliga fixtures.

However, a downturn in form, resulting in seven goals in Kane’s last ten league fixtures, has allowed competition for the European Golden Shoe to become rife.

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has now taken a commanding lead over the England captain with 25 goals in the Premier League this season.

The Egyptian has found the back of the net in each of Liverpool’s last six games in the English top flight, as he begins to hunt down Jamie Vardy’s record of scoring in eleven consecutive Premier League games.

Nevertheless, pipping Kane to the European Golden Shoe would still be the main aim for Salah come the end of the campaign.

What does the European Golden Shoe table look like?

The European Golden Shoe table has been presented by kicker, showcasing the multiplier included.

Players in the top five leagues, depending on the UEFA coefficients, receive a two-times multiplier on their goals, meaning Salah currently has 50 points towards the ultimate prize, while Kane has 42 points due to his 21-goal haul.

An eight-point gap may seem significant, but with both players receiving the same multiplier, only four goals separate the two marksmen.

However, with Salah improving his goal output as Liverpool romp their way to a second Premier League title, it is hard to imagine Kane overtaking the winger.

The Englishman has failed to look like the same player from the beginning of the campaign, and whether it be injury or fatigue, a change in Kane’s performances would be required if he is to claim the European Golden Shoe.

And while Kane may be able to boast a better xG per 90, with 0.87 compared to Salah’s 0.75 as per FBref, the Bayern Munich striker falls behind when transferring into non-penalty xG.

Kane’s non-penalty xG per 90 stands at 0.49 compared to Salah’s at 0.54, showing how Kane has become reliant on scoring from the spot this season, emphasised by the fact he has played six fewer games than Salah but has scored nine penalty kicks.

Therefore, Kane may be unlikely to overcome Salah, but the 31-year-old has always proven to be a lethal goalscorer, and he cannot be ruled out from reigniting his breathtaking form.

GGFN | Will Shopland