Being top goalscorer in the Premier League or any league is a tremendous achievement for any player. But to be the best scorer in Europe's top five leagues is an accolade any player would be proud to have. Some very big names have finished the season as the leading scorer in Europe's five major leagues - the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga and Ligue 1. 

In the past 10 seasons, Lionel Messi (three times), Luis Suarez (twice) and Cristiano Ronaldo have all finished top of the goalscoring charts. But it was Erling Haaland who scored more league goals than anyone else last season in Europe's top five leagues. He started the season as favourite for the Premier League's Golden Boot award with the leading football betting sites. Will the Norwegian be able to back it up again this season?

Bookies.com has analysed the chances of the leading candidates this season and applied hypothetical odds. 

Erling Haaland has been a goalscoring machine in recent seasons, scoring regularly for Borussia Dortmund before joining Manchester City last season. Haaland is the man to beat after scoring 36 times in 35 Premier League games, which helped Pep Guardiola's side win the title by five points. 

The Norwegian, whose £51.2m transfer fee looks a bargain, started the 2023/24 season with two goals in City's 3-0 season-opening win at Burnley. This weekend, he and City face a second promoted side in three games, as they travel to Sheffield United on Saturday.

Haaland drew a blank last weekend as City beat Newcastle 1-0 thanks to Julian Alvarez's first half goal. He may be a goal behind the early pace setters in Europe's top five leagues, but if last season is anything to go by, the goals will continue to flow for the Norwegian in this City side. 

Kevin Behrens scored the season's first hat-trick in the Bundesliga when scoring three times for Union Berlin in their 4-1 home win over Mainz. The 32-year-old, who has spent most of his career outside of the German top flight, scored in the first, ninth and 90th minute to get his season off to a flying start.

It's the only hat-trick scored in Europe's top five leagues so far this season, but that could change this weekend. Behrens will fancy his chances of adding to last week's hat-trick this weekend when Union Berlin travel to newly promoted Darmstadt, who lost their opener 1-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt. 

Behrens is one of seven players to have scored three times so far this season. In the Premier League, Brighton's Solly March and Brentford's Bryan Mbeuno have found the back of the net three times in two games. 

Three players in Ligue 1 have scored three goals ahead of this weekend's third round of fixtures. Stade Brest's Romain Del Castillo following up his opening day brace against Lens to score his side's first goal in a 2-1 win at Le Harve. Brest are joint leaders with six points from six and they travel to Marseille this weekend. 

This weekend, Akor Adams of Montpellier and Monaco's Wissam Ben Yedder are also looking to add to their three goals scored this season. Adams has hit the ground running after joining Montpellier from Lillestrom in July. Ben Yedder's three goals have helped Monaco climb to the top of the table and they will to stay there after their trip to Nantes on Friday. 

The other player on three goals in Europe's top five leagues is one of the biggest transfer stories of the summer. Jude Bellingham completed his switch from Dortmund to Real Madrid early in the summer so he could settle in to life in Madrid with his new team-mates. Three goals in his first games has gone some way to repaying the £88m Real Madrid splashed out on him. The Madrid side are favourites on the best betting apps to win at Celta Vigo this weekend. 

If you have a free bet to use this weekend, then why not consider some of the players we have highlighted as they have started the season in great form.