Robert Lewandowski (Part 3)

Lewandowski opened his goal-scoring account for the 2019-20 season as Bayern defeated Energie Cottbus 3–1 in the first round of the DFB-Pokal. Just four days later, he netted twice in the Bundesliga opener against Hertha BSC, setting a new Bundesliga record by scoring in the season opener for the fifth consecutive year. His impressive form continued with a hat-trick against Schalke on August 24, securing a 3–0 victory for Bayern.
On August 29, Lewandowski committed his future to Bayern by extending his contract until 2023. He reached a significant milestone on September 18, scoring his 200th goal for Bayern in a 3–0 Champions League win against Red Star Belgrade. Continuing his remarkable start to the Bundesliga campaign, Lewandowski became the first player in league history to reach double figures for goals after the first six match rounds, achieving this feat after scoring his tenth goal against Paderborn on September 28.


Lewandowski's exceptional scoring streak continued as he broke records in the Bundesliga. He became the first player to score in each of the opening nine, ten, and eleven matches of a season, surpassing the previous record held by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Additionally, on November 26, he scored four goals in under 15 minutes against Red Star Belgrade, setting a new record for the fastest time to score four goals in a Champions League match.In the Champions League, Lewandowski equaled Cristiano Ronaldo's record of nine away goals in a season by scoring against Chelsea in a 3–0 win on February 25, 2020.


He showcased his skill and versatility by providing two assists in that match. Lewandowski continued his Champions League dominance by scoring a brace and providing two more assists in Bayern's 4–1 win over Chelsea in the return leg on August 10. In the quarter-finals, he contributed with an assist and a goal in Bayern's 8–2 victory over Barcelona on August 14.
Lewandowski's scoring streak in the Champions League came to an end in the semi-finals, but not before he had scored in nine consecutive matches.


Despite not finding the net in the final against Paris Saint-Germain on August 23, Bayern emerged victorious with a 1–0 win, securing Lewandowski's first Champions League title. With this triumph, he became only the second player ever to win the European treble while being the top scorer in all three competitions, a feat previously achieved by Johan Cruyff with Ajax in the 1971–72 season. Notably, Lewandowski was the first player to achieve this as the sole top scorer in all three competitions.


On September 18, in an 8–0 victory over Schalke 04, Lewandowski not only scored a penalty but also provided a stunning rabona assist to Thomas Müller, which was hailed as one of the best assists of the season. Continuing his impressive form, he assisted Leon Goretzka's opener in Bayern's 2–1 win against Sevilla in the 2020 UEFA Super Cup on September 24. Just six days later, he played a crucial role in Bayern's 3–2 triumph over Borussia Dortmund in the 2020 DFL-Supercup, securing their fifth trophy of the year.


October 4 saw Lewandowski's remarkable performance as he single-handedly netted all four goals in Bayern's thrilling 4–3 victory against Hertha BSC. Later, on October 24, he scored a hat-trick in a 5–0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, becoming the first player in Bundesliga history to reach ten goals in just five matches.Further adding to his illustrious career, on December 16, Lewandowski scored a brace against Wolfsburg, becoming only the third player to surpass the 250-goal mark in Bundesliga, following legends Gerd Müller and Klaus Fischer.


For his outstanding contributions to Bayern Munich's treble-winning season and stellar performances in various tournaments, Lewandowski was named The Best FIFA Men's Player 2020 on December 17, marking a historic moment as the first Polish player to receive the prestigious award.
However, the cancellation of the 2020 Ballon d'Or faced widespread criticism, with many believing Lewandowski should have won the award.On January 17, 2021, Lewandowski made history again by becoming the first player in Bundesliga history to score 21 goals after just 16 games, setting a new Hinrunde record.


His exceptional form continued as he scored a brace in Bayern's 2–0 win over Al Ahly in the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup semi-finals on February 8. Three days later, Bayern secured the FIFA Club World Cup 2020 with a 1–0 win against Tigres, making them only the second club ever to win the sextuple.Continuing his remarkable season, Lewandowski opened the scoring in a 4–1 win against Lazio in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 on February 23, surpassing Raúl as the third-highest goalscorer in the competition's history. On March 6, he scored his 12th Bundesliga hat-trick in a 4–2 win over former club Borussia Dortmund, taking his tally to 31 goals in 23 matches.


The prolific striker further solidified his place in Bundesliga history on March 13 by scoring a goal in a 3–1 away win over Werder Bremen, becoming joint-second on the all-time Bundesliga scoring list with 268 goals alongside Klaus Fischer. Just a week later, on March 20, he surpassed Fischer by scoring a perfect hat-trick in the first half of a 4–0 win over VfB Stuttgart.However, his season faced a setback on March 28 when he sustained a knee injury during a World Cup qualification match against Andorra, forcing him to miss both Champions League quarter-final matches against Paris Saint-Germain. Despite his absence, Bayern Munich lost on the away goals rule after a 3–3 draw on aggregate.


After almost a month on the sidelines, Lewandowski made a comeback on April 24, scoring in added time during a 1–2 defeat to Mainz. He continued his goal-scoring spree on May 8, scoring his 14th Bundesliga hat-trick in a 6–0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach.
On May 22, Lewandowski etched his name in Bundesliga history by breaking Gerd Müller's record of 40 goals in a single season with a 90th-minute goal in Bayern's 5–2 win over Augsburg, reaching his 41st goal on the final day of the season. Additionally, he clinched his first European Golden Shoe award, capping off an extraordinary season where he finished with 48 goals in 40 matches across all competitions, marking his sixth season reaching the 40-goal landmark.

References

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