Artem Dovbyk has had a spectacular first season in Spanish football, having helped Girona secure Champions League qualification for the first time in their history. He will also end the season with a significant personal accolade: the Pichichi Trophy, which is handed out to the top scorer in La Liga.
After scoring a hat-trick against Granada on Friday night, Dovbyk overtook Alexander Sorloth to lead the way in the Pichichi race – he moved on to 24, with Sorloth on 23. The Villarreal striker would re-take the lead if he netted twice or more against Osasuna on Saturday, but he has been unable to do so.
Just 17 minutes into the match at El Sadar, Sorloth was forced off with an injury, ending his hopes of a first-ever Pichichi.
Cambio en el Submarino. Ánimo, Alex:
🔴 Sørloth#OsasunaVillarreal 0️⃣-0️⃣ (17') pic.twitter.com/5f9oHM6rVI
— Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCF) May 25, 2024
It means that Dovbyk’s nearest “challenger” is Jude Bellingham, although the Englishman would need to score six goals for Real Madrid against Real Betis on Saturday night. With that in mind, the Pichichi Trophy should be making its way to Girona.