Gonzalo Higuain: One hundred goals in the Spanish League

Gonzalo Higuain struggle to regain his best and at Riazor Stadium received a morale boost. Not only for scoring the winning goal of the comeback against Deportivo in the 87th minute, also because with that goal he already can boast of having achieved one hundred Spanish League goals. And he needed just 179 games to do: an average of 0.55 goals per game.

Gonzalo Higuain

Higuain thus became the second youngest Real Madrid player achieving this mark in the Spanish League, at the age of 25 years and 75 days. Only Raul was earlier, signing his target hundredth the April 15, 2000 with 22 years and 293 days. Raul then scored the 0-1 at the same venue, La Romareda of Zaragoza, which had seen his debut five years and a half earlier.

For comparison, other myths of Real Madrid had to overcome their thirties: Di Stefano (30 years and 263 days), Pirri (31 years and 192 days), Gento (32 years and 325 days) or Amancio (33 years and 173 days). Of these, only 'La Saeta' (Di Stefano) invested fewer games than 'Pipita', capping the height of a hundred league goals in 115 games (his average was 0.86).

But Gonzalo Higuain's scoring production has slowed this season accumulating only 10 goals (9 in League and 1 in the Spanish SuperCup) but, on aggregate, 'Pipita' is the fifteenth in the table of top scorers in the white history (all competitions) with 112 goals. If he is able to reach his best and improve the shooting, could reach this season the next man, Juanito (121). Pahiño (124), Hierro (127) and Michel (130) are also close.

That's not being an easy year for the Argentina international. Gonzalo Higuain has always sailed against wind, and stayed in Real Madrid last summer by popular demand (Bernabeu fans chanted his name in the closing match of the season 2011-12 against Mallorca) but this season has not been starter even with an irregular Benzema. Nor helps the not signed renewal that agreed with Mourinho and entailed a salary increase (from 3.8 million euros to 4.5). The Portuguese coach has between the eyes to recover last year's Higuain (26 goals) for the Camp Nou and Old Trafford. Real Madrid needs him.