La Liga top scorer race heats up in 'El Clasico': Mbappe vs Lewandowski

The “Pichichi” Trophy is awarded every season to the top scorer in La Liga. And if it had a final, it would undoubtedly be this Sunday's “Clasico” between Barcelona and Real Madrid, where in addition to the duel to leave La Liga settled or more than open, the two top scorers of this season will also meet.

Robert Lewandowski comes into this game with 25 goals, one more than his opponent Kylian Mbappe, who only failed to score in this season's Barca-Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. And then he scored twice, although both were disallowed. He then contributed despite the defeats, one in the Spanish Super Cup and another in the Copa del Rey final.

The story is that a priori, Mbappe may have the advantage to cut down because the Pole is not yet 100% fit. He hasn't played a league game since 19 April due to an injury to the semitendinosus muscle in his left thigh. And he hasn't scored since 30 March, when he scored a brace against Girona. Because of his ailment he could not be in the cup final and only entered in the 91st minute of the Inter-Barca Champions League to play the extra time.

Lewy' super sub for the second half

According to Hansi Flick, 'Lewy' will not be in the starting line-up against Real Madrid in Montjuic either. "I don't think they will start (...) After the 'Clasico' we will have three more games, but I do think they will have minutes in the second half", explained the Azulgrana coach in reference to Lewandowski and also Balde. In this way, Ferran Torres is shaping up to be a starter.

When he has been around this season, the 36-year-old Pole has been at his best. He scored a brace in the 4-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu in October and in the Super Cup he set up Lamine Yamal for the equaliser and scored the 1-2 in the 2-5 final from the penalty spot. In total, Robert Lewandowski has scored five goals in the nine “Clasicos” he has played in, taking his tally against Real Madrid to 11 in 17 career games.

Mbappe, meanwhile, can claim to have scored eight goals in seven official games against Barca, adding six for PSG and the two he has scored this season for Real Madrid. We'll see how his quest to become top scorer pans out: since Barca's “9” was injured, Mbappe has only been able to cut out the two goals against Celta because he missed the league games against Athletic and Getafe following his sending-off against Alaves. This Sunday is the final for the title and the Spanish Golden Shoe.