Robert Lewandowski equals Gerd Muller’s Bundesliga record and eyes even more history

Bayern Munich’s prolific Robert Lewandowski added his name to the Bundesliga record books by becoming only the second player in the history of the German top division to score 23 goals in the opening 22 games of the season.

The striker, 31, scored in the third minute of Bayern Munich’s 4-1 win over FC Koln on Sunday to equal a feat only previously achieved by the great Gerd Muller, who also played for Bayern.

Lewandowski’s early strike was his 40th goal of the season for club and country, making him the first male player to reach that mark in 2019/20.

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The Pole, fourth in the Bundesliga’s all-time scoring charts, has finished as the league’s top scorer in three of the last four seasons and is on course to achieve the accolade in this campaign as he leads RB Leipzig Timo Werner by three goals.

In a humorous post on Twitter in November, the striker tweeted: “I have to confess … I am addicted to scoring goals.”

Lewandowski — who earlier in the season became the first player in history to score in the first 11 matches of the Bundesliga — could break Muller’s record of 40 goals in a single season, achieved by the German in the 1971/72 season.

He could also become the first Bayern player to win the European Golden Shoe since Mueller in 1972.

Bayern’s victory ensured the reigning Bundesliga champion returned to the top of the table. In a thrilling Bundesliga title race, Bayern enjoys a point advantage over second placed Leipzig.