Longest goalscoring runs in Europe's top leagues

Leicester City's Jamie Vardy goal for Leicester City on Saturday extended his scoring run to 11 Premier League games, surpassing a mark set by Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2003. An impressive achievement, but he has a way to go to match the record holders in some of Europe's other top six domestic leagues.

Portugal: Fernando Peyroteo (Sporting CP) – 10
One of the 'Cinco Violinos' (Five Violins) who helped Sporting dominate Portuguese football in the 1940s, Peyroteo announced himself in style in 1937/38, registering in each of the final ten games of his debut campaign. Even more remarkable was the fact he struck 31 times across those ten matches. The Angolan-born attacker notched more goals than games played in all 12 seasons with the Leões, hitting a Sporting-record 297 goals before retiring at 31.

England: Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) – 11
Vardy was 25 and playing non-league football when Leicester took a punt on him: that looks outrageously good business now. After two seasons in England's second tier he got his first taste of Premier League action last season. Vardy's first 37 top-flight outings brought six goals, but he has managed 13 in 11 since, in the process helping Leicester to the summit, earning an England call-up and breaking Van Nistelrooy's record.

Italy: Gabriel Batistuta (Fiorentina) – 11
"I have made Italian football history," beamed Batistuta after netting in Fiorentina's 2-2 draw with Sampdoria on 27 November 1994. "Maybe in 20 years you will come to my home in Reconquista [Argentina] because there will be a new Batistuta trying to beat my record." It has not happened yet. "I'm happy because nobody remembered my record until today," said ex-Bologna front man Ezio Pascutti, who had registered in ten straight games in 1962.

France: Serge Masnaghetti (Valenciennes) – 13
There is no official record in France for goals in consecutive fixtures, but Masnaghetti is commonly regarded as having set the mark in 1962/63. That season brought 35 of his 111 career goals, which remains a club record. The great Jean-Pierre Papin would later feel the force of Masnaghetti when he suggested that "scoring was easier in the old days". "Do you think defenders let me go because I was a nice guy?" smirked Masnaghetti.

Gerd Müller©Bob Thomas/Getty Images

Germany: Gerd Müller (Bayern München) – 16
Between 27 September 1969 and 3 March 1970 the master poacher found the target in 16 Bundesliga games running. Not a prime physical specimen – Bayern coach Zlatko Čajkovski affectionately called him 'kleines dickes Müller' (little fat Müller) – his goalscoring remains the stuff of legend. "Bayern have Gerd Müller to thank for what the club has become," said Franz Beckenbauer. "Without Gerd's goals, we'd still be sitting in a wood hut at Säbener Strasse [training ground]."

Lionel Messi makes it 21 in a row©Getty Images

Spain: Lionel Messi (Barcelona) – 21
Carrying a thigh injury, Messi began Barcelona's 34th Liga match of 2012/13 on the bench against Betis. With his side struggling to overcome the challenge of stubborn visitors, the Argentina ace was summoned and duly delivered – notching his 45th and 46th top-flight goals of the season to extend his Liga scoring streak to 21 games in a row. Atlético Madrid ended the run next time out but by then the previous record of ten set by Barcelona's Ronaldo in 1996/97 was long forgotten.