Bayern Munich superstar Robert Lewandowski has enhanced his astonishing legacy by matching a Bundesliga goalscoring record set by Germany legend Gerd Muller 48 years ago.
The Polish striker, 33, was at the double as Bayern extended their lead at the top of the table with a dominant 4-0 victory over Union Berlin on Saturday afternoon. He grabbed his first from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time and tapped in for his second two minutes after the interval.
Lewandowski may have missed out on the 2021 Ballon d'Or but he has been typically prolific this season, scoring 45 times in 37 appearances in all competitions. His brace at the Allianz Arena took his league tally for the season to 31 goals, meaning he has surpassed the milestone of 30 Bundesliga goals for the fifth time in his career.
The only other player in German top-flight history to do so is iconic former centre-forward Muller, who also achieved the feat with Bayern between 1969 and 1974. Lewandowski's latest goalscoring landmark comes after he broke Muller's record of 40 goals in a Bundesliga season which he set in the 1971/72 campaign.
The former Borussia Dortmund star scored 41 times in the league last term as Bayern cruised to yet another title. This season, they are seven points ahead of Dortmund having played one more game.
Julian Nagelsmann's side are also in the hunt for Champions League glory and have been drawn against Villarreal in the quarter-finals of the competition. "We're looking forward to the quarter-finals, we're looking forward to Villarreal and both legs," captain Manuel Neuer said of the tie.
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"It's never easy to get through, but our expectation is to want to reach the semi-finals at all costs. We'll have to earn and fight for that. We certainly have the right motivation and quality on the pitch to win these matches. Obviously we go into it as favourites.
"Villarreal are a technically strong team, who will firstly try to be solid at the back against a team with our attacking power. You saw against Juve ( Juventus ) that they can counter well, can keep the ball well and are all technically adept. Therefore, it's going to be a case of always being switched on."
Bayern breezed past Red Bull Salzburg in the last 16, winning 8-2 on aggregate, while Villarreal secured a breathtaking 3-0 win over Juventus on Wednesday after drawing the first leg 1-1.
