Real Madrid are Club World Champions for the third year in a row and the fourth time in their history after they won the latest tournament in the United Arab Emirates this week! Gareth Bale helped himself to a ten minute hat-trick around half time in the semi-final against Kashima Antlers, and strikes from Modric, Marco Llorente and Sergio Ramos, plus a late own goal, helped Solari’s side to a 4-1 win over Al Ain in the final.

Barcelona end the year at the top of the table though after a 2-0 victory over Celta, with Dembélé and Messi getting the goals before the break. Atlético stay 3 points below the Catalans after they beat Barça’s city neighbours Espanyol 1-0, Griezmann getting the only goal from the penalty spot, and Sevilla drop two points behind after they were held to a 1-1 draw at Leganés, Ben Yedder at least saving a point in the last minute. A low scoring weekend going in to the short festive break though, Angel (Getafe) and Aduríz (Athletic) the only other of our Pichichis on the scoresheet (pending Real Madrid’s postponed game against Villarreal), the former after a 1-1 draw against Girona, and the latter with an original peg-leg penalty in a similar result against Valladolid. (24.12.18)

Benzema is up to fourth in our table after he scored in Real Madrid’s 2-2 draw at Villarreal, but the result meant that Madrid failed to catch Sevilla in the rankings. (03.01.19)

Pichichi League Cup ** Europe * Total (Penalties)
Messi (Barcelona) 15 0 6 21 (1)
Ben Yedder (Sevilla) 8 0 6 14 (0)
Sarabia (Sevilla) 6 1 7 14 (1)
Benzema (Real Madrid) 7 1 4 12 (1)
Luis Suárez (Barcelona) 11 0 0 11 (2)
Stuani (Girona) 11 0 0 11 (2)
Iago Aspas (Celta) 10 1 0 11 (0)
Griezmann (Atlético) 7 0 4 11 (2)
Dembélé (Barcelona) 7 1 2 10 (0)
Bale (Real Madrid) 4 0 6 10 (0)
André Silva (Sevilla) 8 1 0 9 (0)
Ekambi (Villarreal) 2 4 3 9 (0)
Maxi Gómez (Celta) 8 0 0 8 (0)
Borja Iglesias (Espanyol) 8 0 0 8 (0)
Roger (Levante) 8 0 0 8 (1)
Lo Celso (Betis) 4 1 3 8 (1)
Banega (Sevilla) 3 0 5 8 (5)
Charles (Eibar) 6 1 0 7 (4)
Angel (Getafe) 4 3 0 7 (1)
Bacca (Villarreal) 4 2 1 7 (1)
Moreno (Villarreal) 4 1 2 7 (0)
Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad) 5 1 0 6 (2)
Williams (Athletic) 4 2 0 6 (0)
Ramos (Real Madrid) 4 0 2 6 (5)
Aduríz (Athletic) 2 4 0 6 (2)
Santi Mina (Valencia) 2 2 2 6 (0)

* Includes European Super Cup
** Includes Spanish Super Cup