If you reach a milestone, and the only other players in history to achieve it are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, you know you’re doing something right.
Since the European Cup was rebranded as the Champions League in 1992, only two players have scored 100 or more goals in the competitions: messrs Messi and Ronaldo.
But they were joined in the club late in November by Robert Lewandowski, who notched his 100th UCL goal in Barcelona’s 3-0 victory over Brest.
For good measure, the Polish striker added his second later on in the game, making it 101 career Champions League goals. But will he have a chance to chase down the tallies of Messi (129) or Ronaldo (140)?
The way Barcelona have started the 2024/25 season, you wouldn’t bet against it…
Back to Their Best
It has been a fallow few seasons for Barca, who have been royally outclassed by Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga, and below-par in the Champions League for good measure.
But those that bet on sports online will note that the Catalan giants are priced at -150 to wrestle the La Liga title back from Real, while in the Champions League, Barcelona is the +500 second favorite to lift the trophy behind Manchester City (+450).
Although it would be incorrect to name just one person as the catalyst for such a renaissance, it would also be unfair to downplay the significance of Hansi Flick as head coach.
The German, something of a curveball appointment when he took the helm at Barcelona in the summer, has changed the style of play at the club, building on the classic ‘total football’ style of Pep Guardiola and co, and adding his Germanic influences of hard pressing and a high defensive line.
And it certainly seems to be working. At the time of writing, Barcelona have won four of their opening five games in the new look Champions League, while in La Liga they find themselves with a handsome four-point cushion over Real Madrid at the top of the table after 14 rounds of games.
Flick has managed to get the very best out of his players; not least Lewandowski, who broke all manner of goalscoring records when the pair worked together at Bayern Munich.
And now, even at the age of 36, the Polish striker has found a new lease of life under his beloved mentor…
Goals Galore
“Years ago, I did not think I could score more than 100 goals in the Champions League. To join Messi and Ronaldo… I guess they are good, right?”
Although his tongue was firmly in his cheek, Lewandowski was obviously delighted to reach the 100-goal ceiling and join such illustrious company: Messi is the World Cup winning, eight-time Ballon d’Or recipient, while Ronaldo is considered to be one of the greatest players in Premier League and La Liga history.
The 36-year-old could yet break more goalscoring records. At the time of writing, he has scored 15 goals in just 14 La Liga games… the competition’s highest-ever tally for a single season is Messi’s 50 in 2011/12, so while Lewandowski will need to pick up the pace a little, he is still on track to target the record.
With seven goals in five Champions League appearances this term, Lewandowski is hitting the heights associated with his time at Bayern under Flick, under whom he scored a scarcely believable 103 goals in all competitions in just two seasons.
Tactically, the setup of the German is perfect for Lewandowski, who is no longer required to be part of buildup play, and can instead focus on conserving his energy and coming alive when the ball enters the penalty area.
With their Polish striker defying the ageing process and playing some of the best soccer of his career, Barcelona looks set for success on both the domestic and continental fronts this season.
