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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Simon Bajkowski

What Raheem Sterling needs to beat Mbappe, Sergio Aguero and Cristiano Ronaldo 2019 competition

Raheem Sterling is on course to finish as one of the top three finishers in Europe this year - but will have to hold off late charges from some seriously talented players.

Robert Lewandowski tops the 2019 scoring charts with 51 goals from 54 games for Bayern Munich and Poland, with Ballon D'Or winner Lionel Messi the only serious competition he faces with the Barcelona legend five goals back on 46.

Manchester City forward Sterling is unlikely to trouble the top two as he is a further eight goals behind with 38 from 55 games with the Blues and England. However, that is currently good enough for third spot ahead of the chasing back.

One place behind him is PSG's Kylian Mbappe - who Pep Guardiola tried to bring to the Etihad on a number of occasions - on 36. Sergio Aguero is alongside Flora striker Erik Sorga on 35, just ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo (34), Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane (both 33), and Harry Kane (32).

Sterling has had another stellar year and is on track to better last season's tally of 31 goals for club and country, currently sitting on 19 after his strike against Newcastle at the weekend. Mbappe netted in PSG's draw at Real Madrid last week for his first in four appearances.

Aguero is out of action until at least next week with a thigh problem, although 20-year-old Sorga is in excellent form for Flora with six goals in his last six games.

Guardiola and Mikel Arteta have both worked with Sterling to improve his finishing and been credited for his improvement, although the 24-year-old insists the biggest change has come from himself.

"It’s belief within myself," he said in summer ahead of the new season.

"I’ve been playing football since I was 10. I was a striker, moved to the wing and started doing silly things like stepovers and stuff like that.

"I started changing my game up, but went to Liverpool and started listening to people. You can over-think things and start believing things. That is what happened with me, I was believing what I was hearing and not doing what I know I can do and had been doing since I was a child. Have full confidence in yourself."

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