2021 was the year that the Pole with the goals eclipsed Gerd Muller's record of most goals in a season – but is Robert Lewandowski better than his Bayern predecessor?
This year, the Pole beat Gerd Muller's record of the most goals in a Bundesliga season, notching 41 in the final game of the season for Bayern Munich – but the least surprised fan out there? Muller himself.
“He was always surprised someone hadn’t caught him long ago,”said wife Uschi Muller. “Gerd is convinced that Robert will do it.”
But how do the pair compare? Who was better? Let's take a closer look…
Legacy
(Image credit: Getty)
Gerd Muller: Teased for being short and fat as a youngster, Muller’s schooling as an apprentice weaver in small-town Bavaria is credited with developing the stocky, powerful physique which later made him a wrecking ball in the penalty area. He joined Bayern – then in Germany’s second division – from hometown side 1861 Nordlingen in 1964, combining with iconic figures Franz Beckenbauer and Sepp Maier as the club became Germany’s most successful in history by his departure for the USA 15 years later. Following his death in August, former Bayern CEO and team-mate Karl-Heinz Rummenigge described his good friend as “the best of all time; the Muhammad Ali of the penalty box”.
(Image credit: Getty)
Robert Lewandowski: Already a Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal champion with Borussia Dortmund before signing for Bayern in 2014, Lewandowski was a thorn in the Bavarians’ side long before he became their talisman. His free transfer still irks Dortmund fans to this day, as does the sight of him continually breaking records and hoovering up titles in their rivals’ famous red jersey. Lewandowski’s dedication to fitness and recovery have ensured that he’s missed a mere 24 games since 2010, with ex-CEO Rummenigge declaring in 2020, “When I go into the dressing room and see his bare upper body, it’s like an Adonis.” Slightly erotic? Definitely. But we can’t argue with, er, bare facts.
Muller: Muller notched 563 goals in 605 Bayern matches – an astonishing rate of 0.93 per game. Known for his strength, powerful shot and acceleration, the striking great is also Germany’s second-highest scorer with 68 goals – three behind Miroslav Klose (71), despite winning 75 fewer caps.
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Lewandowski: Lewy owns five of the last eight Torjagerkanonen, the Bundesliga’s golden boot award. The Pole has only failed to net more than 20 league goals in a season once during his time at Bayern: his debut campaign, in which he hit 17. Since then, he’s plundered 30, 30, 29, 22, 34 and 41.
Trophies
Muller: Four Bundesliga titles, four DFB-Pokals, three straight European Cups between 1974 and 1976, one European Championship, one World Cup, two German Footballer of the Year awards and the 1970 Ballon d’Or. Nicht schlecht.
Lewandowski: At the time of writing, just the nine Bundesliga titles, four DFB-Pokals, one Champions League, one Club World Cup, one Polish league title, one Polish Cup, nine Polish Footballer of the Year awards and a Best FIFA Men’s prize.
Records
He’s done it!! 41 GOALS! 🤩Robert Lewandowski breaks Gerd Müller’s all-time Bundesliga goal tally for a single season! ⚽Record-breaker. History maker. Legend. 🤜🤛 pic.twitter.com/61YqpTbJoPMay 22, 2021
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Muller: It’ll be fun watching Lewandowski try to chase down his all-time Bundesliga tally. Elsewhere, Muller also has the most hat-tricks for Germany (eight) and previously held the record for the most World Cup goals (14) from 1974 to 2006, when it was snatched by Brazil’s Ronaldo.
Lewandowski: Last term’s single-season feat aside, the 33-year-old has also topped Muller’s goal haul in DFB-Pokal finals (eight vs five) and nudged beyond the idol’s old German record of netting in 15 consecutive games. Plus, Lewy is Poland’s all-time leading scorer, 26 clear of Wlodzimierz Lubanski.
Anything else?
Muller: Oh yes. Muller released four pop singles in his playing days: Raba Da Da (1967), Das Gibt Ein Schutzenfest (1969), Dann Macht Es Bumm (1969) and Tooore!! (1970). The lyrics are almost exclusively about Muller scoring goals, but what else would you expect? Write what you know...
Lewandowski: Don’t mess with the Lewandowkis. Robert’s father, Krzysztof, was a Polish judo champion, while his wife, fellow Pole Anna, is a black belt in karate and won bronze at the 2009 Karate World Cup. Meanwhile, the forward’s mother and sister have both played professional volleyball.
Ed is a staff writer at FourFourTwo, working across the magazine and website. A German speaker, he’s been working as a football reporter in Berlin since 2015, predominantly covering the Bundesliga and Germany's national team. Favourite FFT features include an exclusive interview with Jude Bellingham following the youngster’s move to Borussia Dortmund in 2020, a history of the Berlin Derby since the fall of the Wall and a celebration of Kevin Keegan’s playing career.
