2021 Champions League Top Scorers Expert Analysis

2021 Champions League Top Scorers Expert Analysis

Written by on March 16, 2021

Porto, Liverpool, Dortmund, and Paris Saint-Germain have qualified for the quarter-finals. By the end of the matches on Wednesday, four other teams will have qualified for the quarters. This year, the Champions League finish is shaping up to be a classic. As we head into the quarter-finals, check out a list of the top goal-scorers so far in the 2020-2021 UCL so you can continue making your bets against their Champions League odds.

UCL Top Scorers: Dortmund’s Erling Haaland Leads With 10

UEFA Champions League Top Scorers

  • Erling Haaland, Dortmund – 10
  • Kylian Mbappe, PSG – 6
  • Neymar, PSG – 6
  • Olivier Giroud, Chelsea – 6
  • Mohammed Salah, Liverpool – 5

How safe is Haaland’s 4-goal lead?

Right now? It’s fairly safe. Haaland and Dortmund are already in the quarter-finals. The only other players that can say that with a shot to catch Dortmund’s dominant player is Mbappe with PSG and Salah with Liverpool.

Haaland has played so well that even when Dortmund is in a tough match, like when Bayern dusted them 4-2, he scores goals. Erling posted both of Dortmund’s goals in the loss to Bayern.

Right now, Bayern appears like the only team that can beat Haaland. So even if Dortmund doesn’t win the Bundesliga, unless they end up facing Bayern in the Champions League, Haaland could lead Dortmund to a UCL victory.

Another thing, it’s not like Erling will stop scoring goals. Dortmund knows their best chance of success is to set up their best forward.

Of the other players on the list, who has the best shot of catching Haaland?

If Neymar doesn’t play in the quarters, semis, or finals, should Paris Saint-Germain go that far, Kylian Mbappe has the best chance. Paris Saint-Germain can get aggressive once in a while and Mbappe is an excellent goal-scorer.

He will excel in games versus other aggressive squads, like Bayern or Man City. There’s also a chance Dortmund gets knocked out by the Sky Blues or Bayern. If that happens in the quarters, and we won’t know if it’s a possibility until the draw, Mbappe could catch Haaland.

Neymar could as well, but he’d have to come back one-hundred percent to start scoring goals. Giroud and Salah play for teams, Chelsea and Liverpool, that rely on a defensive strategy.

The Reds did outscore Leipzig 4-0 in their two-leg aggregate. But Salah didn’t dent Haaland’s lead. Chelsea is more conservative than Liverpool. So Giroud’s chances are worse. 

What’s the bottom line?

Unless Dortmund comes up with a bad draw in the quarters, a game versus Bayern or Man City, expect Erling Haaland to at least drive the Bundesliga squad to the semifinals. That means he adds at least one more goal to his total.

With 11 goals, that may be enough for Haaland to grab the goal-scorer title. The deficit could be too great for Mbappe to make up. If you’re looking for an underdog to root for, go with Salah. 

Pool’s English Premier League form is awful. It almost feels like the Reds are concentrating on the UCL, which means they may go all out and let Salah do what he does best, score goals. 

6 goals is a massive deficit, but Salah has the talent to make that up. He’s underrated as a goal scorer and things could move in Liverpool’s favor with a favorable draw.


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