With three rounds to go, the race for the Hyundai A-League’s Golden Boot is well and truly heating up as Bes, Bruno, Macca and Santa eye a grandstand finish to the season.
There could also be a major competition milestone chalked up this weekend.
Besart Berisha, Melbourne Victory (18)
Victory’s main man returns from international duty with Kosovo and has the opportunity to become the first player to score 100 Hyundai A-League goals.
Berisha is perched on 99 and will fancy “raising his bat” against Wellington at AAMI Park on Sunday, having scored a dozen goals in 15 matches against the Phoenix, including a hat-trick when the two last met in Melbourne.
Bruno Fornaroli, Melbourne City (17)
Successive braces have catapulted the Uruguayan into contention for a second successive Golden Boot.
Fornaroli will have his work cut out this weekend though, coming up against the tightest defence in the A-League, with Sydney FC having conceded just 11 goals all season.
Jamie Maclaren, Brisbane Roar (15)
Maclaren has joined the race for top goalscorer with a bang, scoring seven goals in his last six games, including a stunning winner against Victory last time out.
Overlooked by Ange Postecoglou for the recent World Cup qualifiers, Maclaren will want to keep his name front and centre for future Caltex Socceroos squads.
Brendon Santalab, Western Sydney Wanderers (14)
Five goals in his last two outings have rocketed “Santa” up the goalscoring charts and taken him well past the ten he netted for Western Sydney last season.
The evergreen striker earned glowing praise from his coach and team-mates after a hat-trick against Melbourne City last Friday and he’ll fancy more goals once he returns from a suspension earned through accrued yellow cards.
