Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski left it to the last minute of the last game before breaking the Bundesliga record with his 41st goal of the season on Saturday.
Lewandowski missed a host of chances before he finally struck in the 90th minute of Bayern’s 5-2 win over Augsburg in the final round of the German league.
“When you try and score at least a goal for 90 minutes and it doesn’t happen and you try everything, and then in the last second you score a goal, it’s crazy,” the Poland striker said. “I’d have preferred to have scored earlier, but it was exciting to the last second.”
Lewandowski had already equaled the previous best-mark of 40 goals scored by Bayern great Gerd Müller in the 1971-72 season. He scored in each of his last 10 league appearances, and clocked 41 goals in just 29 games altogether.
Bayern, which was already assured of a record-extending ninth consecutive German championship, finished on 78 points — 13 clear of runner-up Leipzig — after Hansi Flick’s last game as coach of the Bavarian powerhouse.
Lewandowski matched the now 75-year-old Müller’s record in the previous round when he got his 40th goal of the season last weekend in Freiburg.
But he had to wait for his 41st as it seemed everyone would score but him.
Lewandowski missed four good chances and watched as Augsburg defender Jeffrey Gouweleeuw scored an own-goal, Serge Gnabry made it 2-0, Joshua Kimmich struck from distance and Kingsley Coman made it 4-0 before the break.
The 32-year-old Lewandowski finally took his chance on the rebound, after compatriot Rafa Gikiewicz saved Leroy Sané’s effort, to become a focal point in Bayern’s title celebrations.
Bayern captain Manuel Neuer handed the Bundesliga “salad bowl” trophy to departing trio David Alaba, Jérôme Boateng and Javi Martinez to lift after their last game for the club.
READ ALSO: