Robert Lewandowski has once again been in phenomenal form for Bayern Munich in the present campaign, with the Polish striker helping the Bavarians to their eighth successive Bundesliga title. Bayern, who went into the COVID-19-enforced break as league leaders, were unstoppable when the German league resumed on May 16th. The German heavyweights won nine successive games to end the Bundesliga campaign with 82 points, 13 points ahead of second-placed Borussia Dortmund.
Bayern Munich‘s chief architect behind their recent title triumph, Robert Lewandowski needs to be celebrated for his superb displays for over a decade now. The 31-year-old is arguably the best striker in the world right now and probably the third-best player on the planet after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge hailed Lewandowski “the best striker in the world” after the Poland international won the Bundesliga Golden Boot for the third straight season and fifth time in his career.
“I’d like to congratulate and thank Robert Lewandowski. He’s the best centre-forward in the world.”
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
In this article, we will look at Robert Lewandowski’s contributions this season, besides highlighting his consistency over the years.
2019-20 was Robert Lewandowski’s best Bindesliga season
Bayern Munich need to thank Robert Lewandowski for his sublime form in front of goal this season. The former Dortmund striker netted 34 Bundesliga goals, which is a record for a non-German player in a single campaign.
The Polish international won his fifth Bundesliga Golden Boot and his third in succession. He became the first player after the legendary Gerd Muller to script this feat. Lewandowski, who now has 236 career Bundesliga goals to highlight his importance, also won the league’s Player of the Season award for his contributions as Bayern hit 100 goals in 34 league matches.
Top records scripted by Lewandowski this season
Robert Lewandowski leads the goalscoring charts at club level in European football in the present campaign. He has 49 goals in 42 matches in all competitions and is in line to become the first player this season to notch 50-plus goals.
With the UEFA Champions League set to resume in August, he is braced for this feat. The prolific forward, who has amassed 40-plus goals for Bayern in five consecutive seasons, became the first player in the Bundesliga to score in 11 successive games earlier in the campaign.
Lewandowski’s consistency over the years needs to be lauded
Robert Lewandowski, who made his Bundesliga debut for Dortmund in 2010-11, managed to score just eight goals in the league that season. However, he completely changed the scenario thereafter. Since the 2011-12 season, he has managed to register double digits in every campaign.
Lewandowski’s tally in these nine seasons read – 22, 24, 20, 17, 30, 30, 29, 22, 34 – talk about consistency! When one takes his goalscoring stats across competitions, his tally since the 2011-12 season reads – 30, 36, 28, 25, 42, 43, 41, 40 and 49. That’s a total of 334 goals and counting in nine seasons!
How does he compare with other top forwards?
With 343 goals over the last decade, Robert Lewandowski has shown that he is ruthless in front of goal. He is a complete striker and possesses all the attributes required for a number nine. But how good is he when compared to other stalwarts of the game?
While Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero has amassed 281 goals in the last 10 seasons, Real Madrid talisman Karim Benzema has 235 in the same period. Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has netted 275 times, and his fellow Uruguayan team-mate Edinson Cavani, who will soon leave Paris Saint-Germain, has 304 goals under his belt in the last decade.
GOATS Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have better numbers than Lewandowski, despite the duo not being traditional strikers. While the Barcelona legend has scored 502 goals in the same period, the Juventus superstar has 472 strikes to his name.
Lewandowski favourite to win maiden European Golden Shoe
With 34 league goals to his name, Robert Lewandowski is in line to win his maiden European Golden Shoe. Lazio’s Ciro Immobile has 28 goals in Serie A, and the Italian needs to score seven times in 10 games to surpass the Bayern Munich hitman. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have 23 and 21 league goals to their name respectively this season.