By far, Djaniny Tavares has proven to be the best striker in Liga MX this Clausura.
After 16 matchdays in the regular season, and with only left to go, no other name in the league has found the back of the net more often than the Santos player who now has a total of 14 goals. In fact, were it not for a short injury that had him miss two games in March, the Cape Verdean could have possibly added one or two more to his already impressive tally.
Once seen as an inconsistent figure in the final third, it is now difficult to find very many complaints for the 27-year-old, who has been involved in nearly half of Santos' goals. Djaniny has been nothing short of brilliant in the past few months, and thanks to his efficient finishing, Santos fans can rest easy knowing that their club has a spot guaranteed in the playoffs.
All that said, credit must also be given to those who have supported him in the attack.
Names like Osvaldo Martinez, Julio Furch and Jesus Isijara have all provided assists for Santos' leading man. Looking further down the roster, a key figure such as Jose Juan Vazquez should also be highlighted for his distribution and control of the midfield that has helped make Djaniny's goal scoring possible.
Without the aid of a few of those aforementioned teammates, this could have been an entirely different season for not only Djaniny, but also Santos as well. In an interview with ESPN FC last month, the striker was quick to mention the contributions of his squad.
"We're a competitive team inside and out, we leave everything on the field in training and during the game," Djaniny said. "We acquired some very good new players at the beginning of the tournament and they have all helped the squad in different ways."
Head coach Robert Siboldi has done a fantastic job leading his roster in 2018, and with Djaniny constantly finding the back of net, it's no surprise to see the team as a potential contender for the Clausura championship.
As for the goal-scoring title, all signs point to Djaniny running away with the recognition.
Looking at the race, Pumas' Nicolas Castillo is second in line with a total of 11 goals this season. That means that if Djaniny were to remain scoreless this weekend, Castillo would then need a hat trick against Queretaro to equal what the Cape Verdean has so far done.
It's not an impossible task, and it must be noted that Castillo does already have one hat trick in the Clausura, but the odds of him once again accomplishing this while Djaniny remains scoreless are very small.
Following Castillo in the goal-scoring race is Lucas Cavallini, who has accumulated nine goals for Puebla in 2018. Although we can't overlook the fact that the Canadian striker will be up against an already relegated Lobos BUAP on Saturday, it might be a bit of a stretch to assume that he can walk away with five or more goals in just one match.
With this in mind, there's no doubt about it: Barring some sort of minor miracle, Djaniny will finish the regular season as Liga MX's top goal scorer.
Once he claims that award, he can then set his sights on an even bigger prize in the Liga MX playoffs. Mexican powerhouses like Tigres, Club America and Monterrey will surely make things difficult, but if Djaniny maintains his momentum, there's plenty of reason to believe that Santos can defy the odds and clinch a league title.