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More prolific than Madrid: Europe's top scorers

Real Madrid CF have scored 70 goals in 21 Liga games this season, but amazingly they are second best when it comes to the most prolific sides in Europe's leagues.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid are not the most prolific scorers in Europe
Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid are not the most prolific scorers in Europe ©AFP/Getty Images

"It doesn't matter how many you concede as long as you score one more," said coach Richard Imbernón of the style that has made Andorra's FC Santa Coloma even more prolific than Real Madrid CF this season.

Madrid's tally of 70 goals in 21 Liga games is awesome, but Santa Coloma's 43 in 12 domestic fixtures in Andorra confirms them as the most prolific marksmen in Europe's domestic leagues this term, averaging 3.58 a match. They have won three games 9-0, vindicating Imbernón's all-out attacking line.

"Football is a game, so the idea is to have fun – and you can't have fun without the ball," the 40-year-old explained. "So our philosophy is to keep the ball as much as we can and have fun with it. Add to that the skill of our players, and what happens is that we score a lot of goals."

None of his charges have netted more for the principality's reigning champions than Cristian Martínez, who has registered 16 goals – seven more than in the whole of the last campaign when he was playing for FC Lusitans. "We are a team who have been put together to win the title," explained the 25-year-old. "We feel we have to get the three points in every game. Right now the team have a lot of enthusiasm."

Santa Coloma huddle
Santa Coloma huddle©Silvia Casals

Imbernón credits Martínez with more than just goals – "his winning attitude is contagious and he always pushes his team-mates to strive for more," the coach said. However, he is far from being Santa Coloma's sole star performer. Juvenal – on show at the Africa Cup of Nations with hosts Equatorial Guinea – is the midfield fulcrum while goalkeeper Eloy Casals plays a crucial role at the back. The No1 has even proved himself as a goalscorer this season – his stoppage-time strike in Yerevan earning Santa Coloma a shock UEFA Champions League first qualifying round success against FC Banants.

Defender Ildefons Lima – capped 90 times and Andorra's all-time leading scorer with nine international goals – is proud that his side remain the team to beat, even though only one point separates the top four in the division. "We have found a balance which we hope the winter break will not have disrupted," said the 35-year-old.

"Winning the league last season and getting to the second qualifying round of the Champions League makes us feel proud, and in a way makes us footballing ambassadors for our country," added Imbernón. "We want to show it was no accident – that we are doing good things and that results are coming. There is no better motivation than self-improvement."

Europe's top scoring sides (goals/games)
1: FC Santa Coloma (AND) 43/12 – an average of 3.58 goals per game
2: Real Madrid CF (ESP) 70/21 – an average of 3.3 goals per game
3: FC Levadia Tallinn (EST)* 112/36 – an average of 3.11 goals per game
4: Hibernians FC (MLT) 64/21 – an average of 3.05 goals per game
5: The New Saints FC (WAL) 70/23 – an average of 3.04 goals per game
6= FC Lusitans (AND) 36/12 – an average of 3 goals per game
6= FC Salzburg (AUT) 57/19 – an average of 3 goals per game
6= JK Sillamaë Kalev (EST)* 108/36 – an average of 3 goals per game

*season over

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