Group A
Napoli will travel to Amsterdam looking to maintain their perfect start against an Ajax side smarting from their late defeat against Liverpool. The Italians have arguably been the standout side in the competition so far and can take a giant leap towards qualification with a victory in the Dutch capital.
Elsewhere it will be a first ever meeting of Liverpool and Rangers at Anfield with both sides needing wins for different reasons. Liverpool will look to Europe to gain some form after stuttering in the league while Rangers are yet to get off the mark in their return to the top table.
Group B
Club Brugge have arguably been the biggest surprise package in the tournament so far and will look to claim another scalp when they host Atletico Madrid.
The Belgians have made a perfect start and another victory would open a big gap between themselves and third place in the group.
Porto will be aiming to get off the mark after two defeats in their first two games when they host Bayer Leverkusen. The Germans are struggling domestically but did defeat Atletico last time out so they’ll have some belief travelling to Portugal.
Group C
Bayern Munich have once more made an impressive start to a Champions League group stage and will get the action underway on Tuesday when they host Viktoria Plzen in the early kickoff.
The German champions defeated their two biggest group rivals in September and will be expecting to dispatch of their Czech visitors to maintain their lead in the group.
Inter Milan meanwhile will host Barcelona in what is the biggest game of the week.
Both sides came up short when facing Bayern and both defeated Plzen so they’ll view these two upcoming games as the key to deciding who will follow Julien Nagelsmann’s side into the last 16.
Group D
Sporting are another side who have impressed, taking six points in what looked the most open group on paper.
They travel to Marseille on Tuesday who desperately need a win if they are to stand any hope of reaching the next round. The French side have started well in the league but have struggled badly in Europe in recent years and will be desperate to give the home support something to cheer.
Tottenham will visit Eintracht Frankfurt in the other Group D clash looking to bounce back from their weekend defeat to bitter rivals Arsenal and take steps towards qualification. It will be far from easy against the Europa League winners who will also have their sights on the latter stages.
Group E
AC Milan head what has been a very tight and unpredictable Group E and will host Chelsea on Wednesday night with injuries to key players disrupting their preparation.
French pair Mike Maignan and Theo Hernandez will miss the clash against Graham Potter’s men who needs points themselves having stuttered in their opening two games.
Salzburg are unbeaten thus far but have also yet to win but a victory over Dinamo Zagreb at home would put them in good stead heading into the turn in the group. The Croatians will be aiming for another surprise victory having stunned Chelsea last month.
Group F
Holders Real Madrid have made a serene start to their title defence and host Shakhtar on Wednesday looking to maintain their 100% record.
The visitors have also made a good start to the group and look favourites to join their hosts in the next round.
Celtic will travel to Leipzig looking to build on their credible draw against Shakhtar last time out and will need to get something to keep their qualification hopes alive as will the bottom side from East Germany.
Group G
Erling Haaland has been in utterly sensational form this season with 17 goals so far and the visit of FC Copenhagen will offer the Norwegian another chance to add to his tally.
The Danes picked up a draw against Sevilla three weeks ago but will be up against a Manchester City side brimming with confidence after sticking six goals past their local rivals Manchester United.
Sevilla have made a terrible start in La Liga and need to get something at home to Borussia Dortmund to avoid being cut adrift in terms of qualification. Victory for the Germans will see them move five points clear of their hosts with just three games to play.
Group H
Benfica have been another surprise outfit this season, winning nine of ten games in all competitions and two 100% records will go head to head in this group when they host PSG.
The Lisbon side claimed a stunning victory away at Juventus last time out and even a point here at home to the French champions will boost their chances of repeating what they did last year when they knocked Barcelona out in the group stages.
Juventus will be looking to avoid the same fate as the Spaniards and nothing less than three points against Maccabi Haifa in Turin will do, with manager Max Allegri under all sorts of pressure.
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The 10-time Bundesliga champion, whose contract expires in June 2023, is seeking a new challenge in his career. He spent two years at Lech Poznan in the Polish league before joining Borussia Dortmund, and eventually Bayern.
Here are four teams who should look be looking to acquire Lewandowski this summer.
The Spanish side have been heavily linked with Lewandowski, with the Polish international reportedly favouring a move to Barcelona.
Xavi’s side currently have four strikers on their roster after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined Memphis Depay, Luuk de Jong, and Ferran Torres in January.
Aubameyang has scored 11 league goals in 15 appearances since joining, including a brace in his first-ever El Classico. Memphis is Barcelona’s top scorer in the league so far with 12 goals while de Jong is very much a ‘kitchen sink’ option for Xavi.
Torres has shown promising signs since joining from Manchester City, but the 22-year-old has found himself guilty of missing big chances in various games.
It is likely that Barcelona would need to offload at least one of these forwards to make room for Lewandowski in terms of squad size and game time.
The Rossoneri are currently battling for their first Serie A title since 2011 as they sit two points clear at the top of the table.
Stefano Pioli has used Olivier Giroud (9) most often this season in the striker position along with Zlatan Ibrahimovic (8) off the bench, but it is Rafael Leao (10) who has scored the most goals in the league for them this season.
Milan’s defence have conceded the lowest number of goals along with Inter and Napoli but both their rivals have scored more, with Inter outscoring them by ten.
The seven-time Champions League winners have also struggled to score as frequently at home. They’ve scored 26 goals at home compared to 38 away in the same number of games (18). Although Lewandowski has scored more away from this season (18 in 16), he has still scored an impressive 16 in 17 at home.
The Blues have made many marquee signings over the past two seasons in the striker position with Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner, and Kai Havertz all coming in, but Thomas Tuchel’s side still lacks a clinical nature in the final third.
Mason Mount (11) has outscored all the Chelsea strikers in the league this season with Lukaku, Havertz, and Werner scoring eight, seven and four respectively.
Lukaku has been under fire from pundits and fans this season after an interview earlier in the season aired on Sky Italia. Many questioned the Belgian’s commitment to the club despite backing from his manager.
Lewandowski has only played twice against Chelsea in his career as he faced the London side in the last 16 of the 2019/20 Champions League. In those two games, he scored three goals and got five assists on his way to lifting the trophy in Lisbon.
If Lewandowski wants to have a challenge, Arsenal is the place for him. The Gunners would need to secure Champions League qualification to have any chance of signing the former Best FIFA Men’s Player, but if they can manage to finish in the top four a move would not be out of the question.
Mikel Arteta has progressed his side over the past 12 months as they go from battling for Europa Conference League last season to pushing for Champions League this season. New signings such as Ben White and Aaron Ramsdale along with Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard have given Arsenal a new identity under the Spaniard.
Arsenal are the only team in the top seven to underperform their expected goals tally. Aubameyang struggled to fire in the first part of the season and Alexandre Lacazette was finding more assists than shots on goal.
Eddie Nketiah has been scoring in recent games, along with a good record in the Carabao Cup, but has struggled to find consistent form over the course of the season.
Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe have been Arsenal’s top scorers this season, but they have also been good creatively. With the addition of Odegaard, Lewandowski can feed off the youngsters’ build-up play while bringing his world-class talent.
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]]>Manager Erik ten Hag has already been announced as the next man in charge at Manchester United, and it seems many players could follow him out of the club this summer. Here are a few of the Ajax players who could leave in the next window.
Gravenberch has attracted interest after impressive displays for both club and country over the past two years. The 19-year-old’s current contract expires at the end of the 2022/23 season, and it is likely that the club will sell him this summer after he revealed that he will not sign a new contract.
The midfielder has been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Manchester United and Liverpool both showing interest. Still, reports have stated that Gravenberch favours a move to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
Bayern have reportedly already placed a bid worth £12.6 million, but Ajax rejected it as they want a minimum of £21 million.
The Dutch international has made 30 league appearances, scoring twice and assisting his teammates five times. He has won the league title twice with Ajax and won two Dutch league cups. He was also part of the Dutch under-17 side that won the U17 European Championship in 2018.
With the 24-year-old’s contract set to expire this summer, Mazraoui has been on the radar of many teams across Europe.
Bayern are once again favourites to sign to right-back on a free transfer, but he has also been linked with Arsenal, Manchester United, and Barcelona, who signed their current full-back Sergino Dest from the same club.
Bayern have either played Benjamin Pavard at right-back or opted to play with three central defenders to accommodate their right-hand side. Julian Nagelsmann wants the deal to be secured sooner rather than later as Mazraoui is yet to choose his preferred suitor.
The Morrocan international has played in 23 league games this season and played in all of Ajax’s Champions League fixtures. He has nine combined goals and assists this season and has also shown he can play in central midfield.
It seems like Antony could be Ajax’s big cash cow for the summer as the Brazilian winger continues to excite fans with his silky performances on the pitch.
Barcelona, Liverpool, Bayern, and Manchester United have been battling for Antony’s signature, with Juventus rumoured to have joined the potential bidding war in recent days.
The 22-year-old has scored 12 times and racked up eight assists in all competitions this season. His impressive performances in the Champions League helped Ajax win all their six group games, with big wins over Sporting Lisbon and Borussia Dortmund.
He has been integrated into the Brazil squad after manager Tite admired his club performances. Antony played in nine of Brazil’s World Cup qualifiers, starting in the final two, and scoring twice. He was also part of the Olympic team that won gold in Tokyo last summer.
Despite openly wanting a move away from the club in January, Tagliafico has played an important role in Ajax’s domestic campaign this season.
The Argentine had his heart set on a move to Barcelona to join Xavi’s revival at the club, but the move could not be completed before the deadline. He expressed his disappointment in his current side for not doing more to get the transfer completed, and he will likely once more seek a move away in the summer.
It is unclear whether Barcelona are still interested in the left-back, but Chelsea and Atletico Madrid have been linked with a move for the 29-year-old.
Tagliafico played five times in Argentina’s recent Copa America success but only made nine appearances in the World Cup qualifiers due to various injuries.
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]]>Elsewhere Liverpool have one foot in the semi-finals after beating Benfica while Manchester City and Villarreal edged out Atletico Madrid and Villarreal respectively.
This fixture was a clash of styles as the possession-heavy approach of Pep Guardiola came up against the defensively resolute Diego Simeone and his gladiatorial approach to winning.
The game played out as expected with Atletico camped in and allowing City to have control of the ball and play in front of the Spaniards. In turn, Atletico had hoped to catch City on the break but no decent opportunities truly presented themselves.
The Citizens huffed and puffed for the majority of the first hour with Jan Oblak only troubled sporadically before Kevin De Bruyne scored what proved to be the game’s winning goal, finishing confidently after being found in the box by Phil Foden.
City were unable to add a second but will take a lead to Spain and know that at some point, Atletico will have to come out and attack, which should open up space on the counter.
Simeone will not be devastated by the result as the tie is still very much alive. A greater attacking threat will be required next Wednesday however if Atleti are to spring a surprise.
Liverpool look well placed to continue their pursuit of an unprecedented quadruple after claiming a two-goal victory in Lisbon.
The Reds started on the front foot and played with an intensity that their Portuguese counterparts were struggling to match.
It was therefore no surprise when Jurgen Klopp’s side went ahead. Ibrahima Konate powered home his first goal for the club to set the Merseysiders on their way.
Sadio Mane would double the lead in the first after a wonderful ball from Trent Alexander-Arnold picked out Luis Diaz, who remained composed to head across to Mane to tap into the empty net.
Mohamed Salah and Naby Keita both had further opportunities as Liverpool looked to win the tie in one leg but Benfica goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos performed admirably to keep it at two.
Benfica were afforded a lifeline early in the second half when Darwin Nunez pounced on a Konate error to calmly slot home and ramp up the atmosphere in the Estadio Da Luz.
Liverpool lost their way a bit and struggled to hold on to the ball as the hosts pressed but Diaz inflicted a damaging blow late on as Naby Keita’s deflected through ball found the former Porto man who rounded Vlachodimos to restore the two-goal cushion.
The Reds are now firm favourites to advance to the final four with Benfica needing a huge performance at Anfield.
In what was the most eye-catching tie of the round on paper, Karim Benzema lit up the midweek action with a hat-trick for the second Champions League game in a row as Real Madrid left Chelsea on the brink of elimination.
Benzema was on form from the off. A brilliant backheel allowed Federico Valverde to play the ball into Vinicius Junior, who smacked the crossbar with his effort.
If this was a warning for Thomas Tuchel’s side, they did not heed it. In the 21st minute, Benzema played a lovely one-two with Vinicius who clipped the ball back for the onrushing Frenchman to score a glorious header past Edouard Mendy.
La Liga’s top scorer would repeat the trick just minutes later, finding space in the area to head Luka Modric’s cross into the bottom corner. It was such a difficult chance to convert but Benzema is operating on another level at the minute.
Chelsea did manage to get back into the game just before half-time with Kai Havertz powering a header past Thibaut Courtois to halve the deficit.
Any hopes that the goal may inspire a rousing comeback were dissipated almost instantly in the second as a mistake from Mendy was not dealt with at all well by Antonio Rudiger allowing Benzema the simple task of rolling it into an empty net from 25 yards.
After the difficulty of the opening two goals, the striker will have been surprised yet delighted at just how easy the third presented itself.
Chelsea tried to get back into the game with substitute Romelu Lukaku spurning a glorious chance by heading wide from six yards and Courtois saving brilliantly to deny Cesar Azpilicueta.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side did enough to hold on and look well placed to bring Chelsea’s tenure as European champions to an end, with Tuchel declaring the tie over in his post-match press conference.
This was the surprise result of the round, without question. Villarreal are relative novices at this level, with this being their first quarter-final in 13 years.
This did not stop the Yellow Submarines from producing a display full of energy and confidence to give themselves a slender advantage heading into next week’s second leg in Germany.
Former Bournemouth winger Arnaut Danjuma struck the only goal of the game in the eighth minute, diverting Dani Parejo’s effort past Manuel Neuer in the Bayern goal.
In what was an entertaining game with chances at either end, it will be the Spaniards who feel they left possibly a victory by a greater margin behind in this once.
Gerard Moreno almost scored from 45 yards out with Neuer stranded but his effort curled wide while Danjuma and Pedraza both spurned great chances to add to the worries for Julian Nagelsmann.
Francis Coquelin also saw his cross loop over Neuer and into the net only for VAR to catch the former Arsenal midfielder offside.
Bayern had chances too with Kingsley Coman twice going close but Nagelsmann will be relieved that the deficit is only one with a home return leg to come.
Bayern have done this before in losing or drawing first legs, only to smash the opposition once the action gets to the Allianz Arena.
Villarreal will be hoping to buck the trend and add another former winner to the list of clubs they have vanquished this season.
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In years gone by, the number of English players moving abroad were few and far between, but in recent years, this has been a common path, particularly for young players in search of some first-team football.
It feels like a good time to check in and have a look at the progress of these talents in Europe.
Jadon Sancho made the move to Borussia Dortmund as a teenager after feeling as if his chances of becoming a first-team regular were better served in Germany than in Manchester City. Sancho went on to become a genuine star in the Bundesliga and launched his career before moving to Manchester United in the summer gone by.
Jude Bellingham has gone for a similar route and is seeing similar results. The midfielder was coveted by a host of Premier League clubs but made the call to move abroad and has thrived.
An excellent first season led to an inclusion in the England squad for the European Championships in the summer and Bellingham has stepped up another level this season. He has made 20 appearances in the league this season, scoring three times. Bellingham has put on some fantastic performances this year and he is considered to be one of the best British players that played in the Bundesliga.
The Birmingham-born star is one of the first names on Marco Rose’s team sheet these days and is being heavily linked with a return to England with Manchester United and Liverpool both believed to be circling.
A continuation of this kind of form will see Dortmund once again making a heavy profit on a young signing.
Eyebrows were raised last summer when Bayern Munich opted to sign a left-back from a club in the second-tier in England. Omar Richards was out of contract with the now-struggling Reading and weighing up his options when the German champions made their move.
Primarily a back-up, Richards has made eight appearances in the league this season, starting twice. The recent injury to Alphonso Davies would have given Richards hope of making more appearances but Lucas Hernandez has been preferred in the Canadian’s absence.
Even with his struggles for minutes recently, Richards will probably come away with a league winners’ medal and could well add a Champions League winners medal soon.
Reece Oxford made his Premier League debut for West Ham as an 18-year-old in 2017 and was touted by many to have a long career ahead of him in claret and blue.
Fast forward four and a half years later and Oxford is playing his football in Bavaria with Augsburg. Once thought of as a future England international, the 23-year-old has made a decent career for himself in Germany having initially had a loan spell with Borussia Mönchengladbach.
The former midfielder has converted to centre back and has played 18 times in the league this season, even scoring his first goals in senior football. Oxford still has plenty of time on his hands and could well return to England at some stage.
There are a few other younger English players in the league currently but have not had as much of an impact as the previous trio.
Felix Nmecha has 10 appearances for Wolfsburg this season but most have come from the bench while Clinton Mola has made three appearances for Stuttgart. Keanen Bennetts has just 47 minutes under his belt for Mönchengladbach, although he has played seven times for their second team.
These younger players should not feel too pressured though. Sancho and Bellingham are exceptional talents and biding their time should lead to more appearances and opportunities.
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“This will be an interesting game to draw conclusions about where we are,” Barca manager Ronald Koeman said before the game. The outcome was as many expected, Barcelona are far from the team they once were during the Lionel Messi era, and a triumph in the Champions League looks further away than ever.
Bayern were simply levels above the Spanish outfit, as their tactical understanding of the system and pure technical quality shone through, even on a night where they were uncharacteristically wasteful in front of goal and hardly got out of first gear.
Granted, the comparison between the sides has to consider how far into the project both managers are, as well as the resources they’ve had available. Julian Nagelsmann took over in Bavaria off the back of Hansi Flick’s fine work in building a side which were crowned Champions of Europe just over a year ago and had won the previous nine Bundesliga titles.
Whereas Koeman inherited an ageing squad, with many key players coming to the end of their illustrious careers, along with huge financial constraints in the transfer market to replace them. Not to mention the loss of their greatest ever player and top scorer, as a result of the same issues.
Despite failing to register a shot on target during a game in the Champions League for the first time in their history, there was one positive for Barcelona to take from this game. 13 months ago in the same fixture they were outclassed in an 8-2 defeat, but this time it was only three.
It’s statistics such as this one that truly put it into perspective not only where they stand as a club, but how much effort it’s going to take in order to be competing with Europe’s elite again. The standards have fallen drastically in recent times, so much so that this can be considered as an improvement, and a step in the right direction.
Much like in the previous victory at Camp Nou for Bayern there was one player that stood out from the rest and that was Lewandowski.
For large spells in the first half, it felt like the Poland international was on the periphery of the game, as he was tasked with the role of occupying the three Barcelona centre-backs. However, his lack of involvement in the build-up didn’t stop him from looking like he was going to get on the scoresheet, as he threatened in behind on a couple of occasions.
Joshua Kimmich’s deft chipped through ball found Lewandowski just inside the area, where he was met by the two hands of Ronald Araujo in the back, which knocked him off balance. On second inspection, the challenge was rash and could have been deemed a foul, if it wasn’t for the striker’s persistence to stay on his feet.
Although no notable shot came from the opportunity, it provided a warning sign for the hosts. Moments later, Jamal Musiala received the ball in space, allowing him to drive towards goal before attempting to slot Lewandowski through on goal.
Unfortunately, the pass was slightly overhit and forced him towards the touchline, but what came after proved the quality that Bayern’s number nine possesses. His first touch helped keep the ball in play, then his second left the onrushing Jordi Alba on the turf, as he was able to chop the ball back inside to evade the challenge.
It was executed in one smooth motion and followed by a teasing cross into the box to match, but none of his teammates were on the same wavelength this time. As the game approached half-time, it was Bayern’s other deadly attacker that made the breakthrough, as Thomas Muller’s long-range strike beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Leroy Sane prodded the ball into the path of the German, allowing him to line one up from distance. His effort deflected heavily off Eric Garcia into the back of the net following the youngster’s decision to turn his back on the play. For all their dominance, the match was still in the balance heading into the break, however, Barcelona’s hope was short-lived.
Once again, Lewandowski was at the heart of everything positive coming from the visitors, as this time he almost turned provider for Sane. With Gerard Pique always in close proximity, the 33-year-old utilised the space in front of him, in order to act as Bayern’s springboard while attacking.
One glance over his shoulder prior to receiving the ball meant he had already identified the space, before returning it back into the path of the winger. Sane used his quick feet to create some room for a shot but was unable to supply the finishing touch to beat his fellow compatriot in goal.
In the 56th minute, Bayern doubled their advantage through Lewandowski when he was the first to come alive in the box, following Musiala’s shot coming back off the post. The teenager’s half-volley on the edge of the area looked to have beaten ter Stegen, however as it crashed back off the woodwork, the forward instinctively finished into an empty net to make it 2-0.
Even when the game was out of sight, the away side’s relentless press continued to suffocate Barcelona deeper into their own half, and ultimately led to the final goal of the night. Alphonso Davies and Kingsley Coman harried Yusuf Demir out of possession with the latter proceeding to pick out his fellow substitute, Serge Gnabry, with an accurate through-ball.
Gnabry’s low effort rebounded back off the post, where Bayern’s talisman was first on hand to mop up the second phase again. Lewandowski had the composure to cut back onto his weaker left foot, sitting down Pique in the process, before unleashing his shot into the goal to wrap up a 3-0 victory.
It was another fine performance from the German side in the Champions League during recent years and this campaign they will be hoping to go all the way for the seventh time in their history. If they are to do so and Lewandowski continues his incredible form, is it about time we all considered him as the favourite for the Ballon d’Or?
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Muller scored 722 goals for club and country across his career and he also became the first German international to win the Ballon d’Or when he won the individual honour in 1970.
Bayern President Herbert Hainer said:
“Today is a sad, dark day for FC Bayern and all its fans. Gerd Muller was the greatest striker there’s ever been, and a fine person and character of world football. We’re all united in deep mourning with his wife Uschi as well as his family. FC Bayern wouldn’t be the club we all love today without Gerd Muller. His name and memory will live on forever.”
Muller was not your conventional, orthodox striker. He was short and not the quickest over longer distances, but in the 18-yard-box it was a completely different story. His acceleration and agility would give him an advantage over defenders along with his impressive aerial ability.
Much like today’s Thomas Muller at Bayern, the forward’s intelligence and proficiency to score goals from unlikely positions put him on a level above the rest.
Muller still holds the record as the Bundesliga’s all-time top scorer with 365 goals in 427 games. He finished as the top goalscorer in the league seven times between 1967 and 1978, winning the competition four times along the way.
In 1972, the striker scored 85 times during the calendar year, a record which stood until 2012 when Lionel Messi scored 91 goals throughout the year.
Muller also held the record for most goals in a single Bundesliga campaign (40) before current Bayern forward Robert Lewandowski broke the record last season.
The two-time European Golden Shoe winner won 14 trophies in Bavaria including three back-to-back European Cups in the 1970s and four DFB-Pokals.
Muller was given the nickname “Bomber der Nation”, shortened to “Der Bomber”, due to his unbelievable scoring ability for his country.
He scored 68 goals in 62 games for West Germany and was the nation’s top scorer for close to 40 years before Miroslav Klose surpassed him. What made Muller’s record even more impressive is that it took Klose over twice as many appearances to break the record.
The forward won his first accolade with Germany at the 1972 European Championships where he finished top scorer with four goals, including two in the final. He followed up this success by guiding his nation to World Cup glory in 1974 as he scored the winner against the Netherlands.
His 14 goals at the World Cup meant he was the competition’s all-time leading scorer until Ronaldo broke the record in 2006. Muller ended his international career in 1974 after his World Cup triumph and won Germany’s Footballer of the Year award twice.
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]]>The 32-year-old born in Warszaw has gone from strength to strength throughout his time in Bavaria, but this simply is one of his best ever.
To break a record that stood for nearly half a century, Lewandowski has proved why he has been one of the best players on the planet in the last five years.
Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick, who is set to leave the club as he looks to become Germany National team boss, said that he doubted his star forward will be able to break the record.
“I’m glad for Lewy. The goal took him a long time. At some point I told Tapa [Toni Tapalovic, goalkeeping coach] I didn’t think he’d still get one, but he’s a goal-getter. That’s what marks him out,” Flick told reporters.
“It’s also an achievement by the team. We win together. That’s what’s marked us out: we work as a team. That’s the main thing. With the quality we have, everyone up front benefits.”
Lewandowski was a huge contender for the Ballon D’Or 2020 before it was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Bayern won the Bundesliga for a ninth consecutive time and were 14 points clear of second-placed RB Leipzig as the German giants finished the season with an emphatic win.
In just the first-half, Flick’s side went into the break as 4-0 leaders. Jeffrey Gouweleeuw scored an own goal in the ninth minute which set the Champions on their charge.
Serge Gnabry added a second in the 23rd minute as the Bavarians would score twice in 20 minutes through Joshua Kimmich and Kingsley Coman to more or less put the game to bed.
Andre Hahn and Florian Niederlechner got two back for the visitors but Robert Lewandowski’s goal in the 90th minute not only secured the record for the Pole but a 5-2 victory for Bayern Munich.
The Pole has been the top scorer in the German top-flight for the last four consecutive seasons and has easily proved to everyone why he should be a Ballon D’Or winner.
Gaining all the top accolades in 2020 include the Best FIFA Men’s Player of the Year, UEFA’s Best Player in Europe, Germany’s Footballer of the Year, a Champions League winner, a Bundesliga winner and a German Cup winner.
Improving year on year, the striker has simply been unstoppable with 48 goals in all competitions this season, his second-best ever goal tally behind 2019/20’s 55 goals.
With the European Championships this summer, a lot of pressure will once again fall on the shoulders of Poland’s all-time leading goalscorer.
He will look to replicate the fortunes of Euro 2016 as his captain’s Poland into another major competition with Paulo Sousa the manager on the touchline.
Robert Lewandowski has broken another record with the all-time goalscoring record of Gerd Muller insight but the Pole will need 89 goals in his next couple of seasons to even equal the tally of the German.
It will be hard for Bayern’s ace, however, nothing is impossible when you are Lewandowski as he will definitely be up to the task of beating this record that’s stood since 1979.
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The German – who is turning 34 in July, has attracted interest from Europe’s elite since guiding Hoffenheim into the Champions League.
He joined RB Leipzig in 2019 after they had secured Champions League football, and is now, after two successful seasons in East Germany, looking to take the next step to super-club Bayern Munich.
Bayern have already agreed a deal to sign Nagelsmann’s colleague Dayot Upamecano at the end of the season, and in the boss they will be sweeping yet another of the Bundesliga’s top talents.
A breaking point in the deal could be the recipients. Red Bull are canny operators nowadays. In return for their prized asset, they are looking for a reported fee of £21.7m, which smashes the record set for managerial compensation.
He was linked heavily with the Tottenham job this week after Jose Mourinho’s dismissal, but with his interests clearly vested in Bayern’s court, it could see the beginning of a managerial merry-go round.
Hansi Flick, Bayern’s current boss, is favourite to replace the outgoing Joachim Low in the German national team. Then, as Nagelsmann’s move to Bayern moves closer, a slot at RB Leipzig is open.
Don’t forget that Marco Rose has already signed for Dortmund for next season from Borussia Monchengladbach, and Adi Hutter for Monchengladbach from Eintracht Frankfurt. Werder Bremen and FC Koln also have managerial changes in horizon.
In fact, as per Jasmine Baba on Twitter, can anyone get their head around it?
My old ass having to jot all this down because I will forget someone pic.twitter.com/vtvEsNvgtX
— Jasmine Baba ???? (@_jasminebaba) April 26, 2021
The question is who for RB Leipzig, and when will they care to announce it.
Will they follow the Red Bull route to pluck from neighbours Salzburg? Jesse Marsch is a likeable character and clearly a wonderfully talented coach. Erik ten Hag of Ajax could also be an option.
Tottenham could also be a player in any deal for Die Roten Bullen. The managerial shortlists are likely to be similar, and could contribute to what will an interesting managerial summer for all parties.
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After former PSG attacker Maxim Choupo-Moting’s effort rattled the woodwork early on, the French side launched a swift counterattack as Kylian Mbappe found himself in shooting range. The 22-year-old’s shot went under Manuel Neuer and the ball rolled into the back of the Bayern Munich net with just three minutes on the clock.
PSG doubled their lead after 27 minutes as Neymar played a delightful ball over the Bayern defence – which in the early stages looked nervous and so out of character. Marquinhos was left wide open in the Munich penalty area and had the easy job of slotting it home past the hapless Neuer.
Just before half-time, Choupo-Moting got one back for Bayern as he latched onto the end of Benjamin Pavard’s pinpoint cross.
In the second period, the Bayern bombardment continued and seconds before the hour mark Thomas Muller was left in acres of space to nod home Joshua Kimmich’s deep free-kick for the equaliser.
A matter of moments later, Paris were on another counterattack and Bayern failed to clear the danger. After a quick fake shot, Mbappe beat Jerome Boateng and placed the ball into Manuel Neuer’s bottom left corner.
Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Keylor Navas was the star of the show. The Costa Rica International made a series of world-class saves including a fantastic stop denying Leon Goretzka from six yards out.
Bayern Munich will be furious that they let so many chances go to waste. The German outfit had 31 shots over the course of the game, and had Robert Lewandowski been available for selection could we have seen a different outcome?
In the early stages of the game, Bayern looked uncomfortable but after two tactical substitutions in the first half where Boateng and Alphonso Davies were introduced, Bayern looked more composed under pressure.
If Bayern Munich are to stand any chance of advancing in the competition, they need to be more clinical in attack as too many good chances went flying into the empty stands.
PSG on the other hand had a game plan to soak up the pressure and use the frightening pace of Mbappe, Neymar, Julian Draxler and Di Maria to counterattack and it was executed impeccably.
The game ended 3-2 to the away side who take the aggregate advantage into next week’s second leg as well as three crucial away goals.
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(Featured Image: Sönke Biehl / Flickr Images)
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