Robert Lewandowski breaks all-time Bundesliga scoring record

It was starting to look like it wouldn’t happen, but it’s rarely possible to suppress Robert Lewandowski's quality. The Pole strengthened his claim as Bayern Munich's and the Bundesliga's greatest ever goalscorer with his 41st goal of the season on Saturday — no player has scored more in a single season.

The previous record had stood for a season short of a half century, set by another legendary Bayern striker, Gerd Müller. "Der Bomber" scored 40 in a sensational campaign in the 1971-72 season, just when the Germany legend was at the peak of his powers. It was a record that had appeared destined to stand forever, but it’s finally been broken.

"I really have no words to describe this," Lewandowski said after Bayern's 5-2 win over Augsburg on Saturday. "When you try over 90 minutes to score a goal and it is just not happening and then with the last kick of the game you score then it feels absolutely amazing. I am very happy. This is certainly a highlight in my career." 

Augsburg had looked to have kept the Polish striker at bay on a rare afternoon that he had not been among the goalscorers despite Bayern leading 4-2. The man in the opposition goal was Lewandowski’s compatriot Rafal Gikiewicz, who was starting to frustrate his international colleague. But when Gikiewicz failed to hold a shot from Leroy Sane in the last minute, it fell kindly for Lewandowski. 

"It was difficult for me to remain patient," Lewandowski said. "But I kept believing that the situation might come and I would have to be ready for it. You have to fight for a record. It does not come easy. I want to thank the team because they are part of this record. It is a special moment, a historic moment."

The achievement even triggered a response from Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who couldn’t hide his joy with a Facebook post that read: "Yes! Yes! Yes! Robert Lewandowski has done it! 41 goals in one Bundesliga season! A goal in the last seconds of the match. He is a legend!"

Lewandowski is a legend, and not just in his homeland. He’s won every trophy on offer at Bayern and has been synonymous with the club’s unprecedented run of success in the past decade.

There is one more record of Müller’s that Lewandowski will now have in his sights and that’s the big one: most Bundesliga goals of all time. Müller has 365 and Lewandowski is 88 goals back with 277, spanning his time with Borussia Dortmund, too.

If Lewandowski can remain clear of serious injury in his remaining years, few would bet against the 32-year-old bypassing that milestone too.