Haaland, Lewandowski & the contenders to take Messi & Ronaldo’s Champions League goalscoring crown

Sergio Aguero has accumulated just two Champions League goals so far this season but it's worth pointing out that he only featured in three group games.

So, while he has a lot of ground to make up in the race for the tournament's Golden Boot, the Argentine could still feature in a further seven matches if Manchester City were to reach the final for the first time.

Getting past Real Madrid in the last 16 will be far from straightforward, particularly for a club still reeling from the news that they have been banned from the next two editions of the Champions League.

However, anything is possible with an on-song Aguero, who, rather ominously, has scored seven goals in his last four Premier League appearances.

Karim Benzema has flourished since Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer to Juventus in 2018.

The centre forward, who did so much work for the Portuguese, is clearly revelling in the fact that he has now been charged with leading the Blancos attack - a job he is carrying out to excellent effect.

The former France international struck 30 times in all competitions last season and he's already racked up 18 goals this term.

Madrid's recent good form has owed much to their defensive excellence but if the Liga leaders are to go deep in the Champions League, one can be sure that Benzema will play a pivotal part.

He got four goals in the group stage; more should follow in the knockout rounds, given the 32-year-old is now the focal point of Zinedine Zidane's attack.

Serge Gnabry has only scored in one game in this season's Champions League yet he has to be regarded as a contender to finish as the tournament's top scorer as he accounted for four of Bayern Munich's seven goals in their rout of Tottenham on matchday two.

Of course, the winger's primary role is to create chances for centre forward Robert Lewandowski but the 24-year-old is presently enjoying the most prolific season of his young career, having struck 14 times in 28 appearances.

Bundesliga leaders Bayern will face a fragile Chelsea side in the last 16 and one wouldn't bet against former Arsenal man Gnabry enjoying another fruitful return to London to propel him up the goalscorers' chart.

Erling Haaland's hopes of finishing as top scorer in his first season in the Champions League looked over after Red Bull Salzburg's group-stage elimination.

However, the Norwegian forward was snapped up by Borussia Dortmund during the January transfer window, giving him a chance to add to his fantastic tally of eight goals from his first six appearances.

Lucien Favre's side have a tough draw in the last 16, against Paris Saint-Germain, but you wouldn't bet against Haaland netting against the Ligue 1 leaders, given he's already struck a frankly ridiculous nine times in his first six outings for Dortmund.

Mauro Icardi's loan move from Inter to Paris Saint-Germain is working out wonderfully well for everyone involved. The Nerazzurri involved in the Serie A title race thanks to Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez's prolific partnership, while Icardi is clearly enjoying playing alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Angel di Maria.

The Argentine attacker has struck 19 times in just 28 appearances in all competitions this season and has replaced Edinson Cavani as Thomas Tuchel's first-choice centre forward.

After the toxic nature of his San Siro departure, Icardi has clearly rediscovered his love of the game and, with five goals in six Champions League outings, the 26-year-old is well placed to make a late bid to finish as the tournament's top-scorer if PSG can fire their way past Borussia Dortmund in the last 16.

Gabriel Jesus continues to play second fiddle to Sergio Aguero at Manchester City but it is worth pointing out that despite ongoing doubts over whether the Brazilian will prove a worthy successor, the 22-year-old is on course for his highest ever goal tally for a single season.

Jesus has scored 16 times in 2019-20 – just five shy of his personal best – and four of his goals have come in the Champions League, including a hat-trick on matchday six at Dinamo Zagreb.

Of course, it remains to be seen just how much game time the Selecao star will be afforded by Pep Guardiola in the last-16 tie with Real Madrid but Jesus could yet play a major role in City's campaign.

Is Harry Kane capable of finishing as the Champions League's top scorer? Of course. The Tottenham forward is one of the most lethal finishers in the world today and he hit six goals in just five appearances in the group stage.

However, what we don't know is exactly when the England international will return from the thigh injury that has sidelined him since January.

It could be April before Kane makes his comeback and while RB Leipzig represent a reasonably good draw for Spurs, they remain a work in progress under new manager Jose Mourinho and it would be no surprise if last season's finalists are out by the time the semi-finals roll around.

The current top-scorer and odds-on favourite, Robert Lewandowski, will turn 32 later this year but has arguably never been in better form.

Indeed, the prolific Pole's 10 Champions League goals have come in just five games, and he's averaging one every 43.5 minutes in this season's competition.

There's every chance of him maintaining his ridiculous strike rate in the last 16, too, with a resurgent Bayern Munich taking on a Chelsea team that are desperately weak in the centre of defence.

Kylian Mbappe will obviously be key to Paris Saint-Germain's hopes of finally winning the Champions League.

The France forward has already hit five goals in five games in this season's competition, and appears perfectly primed for the knockout stage.

Question marks obviously remain about PSG's mettle but there's no doubting Mbappe's ability to rip any defence in Europe to shreds.

Dortmund will be already having nightmares about the 21-year-old speedster running at them.

It now seems certain that Dries Mertens' remarkable spell at Napoli will come to an end when his contract expires this summer. But could he bow out by firing the Partenopei to Champions League glory?

The Belgium international may no longer be scoring as freely in Serie A as he did under Maurizio Sarri but he remains a serious threat in Europe.

Indeed, Mertens has five goals in six outings in this season's Champions League and the fact that he netted in both group games against Liverpool underlines just how dangerous the converted winger can be.

Napoli remain maddeningly inconsistent under new coach Rino Gattuso but one can be certain that Barcelona won't be looking forward to facing Mertens.

Four games, four goals – Rodrygo is making this Champions League lark look very easy.

The Brazilian is still only 19 and only arrived at Real Madrid last summer but it's clear that Zinedine Zidane has a special attacking talent on his hands.

The Frenchman has wisely tried to play down the hype around Rodrygo, and use the former Santos starlet sparingly, but it's clear that he has the utmost faith in the youngster's ability.

Zidane gave Rodrygo his debut away to Galatasaray and, after watching the forward impress, picked him again for the return fixture and was rewarded with a hat-trick.

It would be asking a lot of Rodrygo to fire Real to Champions League glory this season, but he certainly looks capable of doing it in the future.

Son Heung-Min really stepped up to the mark in Harry Kane's absence last season, helping Tottenham reach the final with some sensational showings, most notably against Manchester City.

The South Korean will be asked to perform similar heroics this term, with his fellow forward once again sidelined through injury.

Son has already racked up five goals in the group stage – more than he got in last season's tournament (four) – so the 27-year-old can't be discounted at this stage, even if Spurs don't look as strong as 12 months ago.

One of the keys to Liverpool's success is their wide range of attacking threats. This is a team that shares the goals around.

Still, Mohamed Salah remains the Reds' most dangerous marksman. The Egyptian magician has, unsurprisingly, been unable to maintain the ridiculous strike-rate of his first season in the Premier League but he is once again Liverpool's top scorer this season, with 14 goals in 23 games.

Salah has also bagged four in the Champions League, meaning he remains a legitimate contender for the Golden Boot, with Liverpool being tipped by many to reach a third consecutive final.

One of the more curious aspects of Manchester City's relative struggles this season is the form of Raheem Sterling.

The England international was flying before the turn of the year, scoring five times in the Champions League alone, but he hasn't scored in any competition since netting twice at Wolves on December 27 and there is now mounting speculation surrounding Sterling's future.

Even before news of City's Champions League ban broke, the 25-year-old was being linked with the likes of Real Madrid and such talk has only intensified in recent days.

Still, it's not beyond the realms of possibility that Sterling, and his side, could suddenly catch fire, particularly as their last-16 tie with the Blancos has suddenly taken on far greater significance for Pep Guardiola and his players.