Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski broke Gerd Müller’s 49-year-old Bundesliga goal-scoring record for a single season on Saturday when he scored in the last minute of their last match, a 5-2 win over Augsburg, to take his tally to 41 goals – one more than the former Bayern great.
The Poland striker is second on the all-time scorers list in the Bundesliga with 277 goals, behind only Müller’s 365. Müller set the previous record in the 1971/72 season with 40 goals, a total which Lewandowski equalled last week.
Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski with the Bundesliga top scorer award after his side’s 5-2 win over Augsburg. Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/EPA
Lewandowski spurned more than half a dozen chances and looked set to miss out on the milestone, with Augsburg determined not to let him add to his tally and snatch the record away from Müller, an idol of the Augsburg coach, Markus Weinzierl.
But the Pole was not to be denied and in the final minute, when Rafał Gikiewicz spilled a Leroy Sané shot, he rounded the keeper to score.
With coach Hansi Flick and several players of the old guard – Javi Martínez, David Alaba and Jérôme Boateng – bidding farewell to the club, and 250 fans in the 75,000-seat arena, it was an emotional afternoon for Bayern with the championship long wrapped up.
It did not take long for the hosts to take the lead, with Augsburg’s Jeffrey Gouweleeuw stabbing the ball into his own net from a Serge Gnabry cutback in the ninth minute.
Gnabry then headed in their second goal in the 23rd after Gikiewicz had saved a point-blank effort by Lewandowski.
A minute later Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer denied Daniel Caligiuri from the penalty spot, before Joshua Kimmich launched a 20-metre missile to make it 3-0 for the hosts.
Kingsley Coman also got on the scoresheet two minutes before the break when his low crisp shot whizzed past Gikiewicz.
The visitors came to life midway through the second half, scoring twice through André Hahn and Florian Niederlechner. But it was Lewandowski who had the last say.
At the other end of the table, former Bundesliga champions Werder Bremen were relegated for the first time since 1980 following their 4-2 defeat to Borussia Moenchengladbach, along with already-relegated Schalke 04.
Cologne, meanwhile, will go into the relegation play-offs after scoring an 86th-minute winner over Schalke.
