Munich, Dec. 18 (BNA): Robert Lewandowski set a calendar year record with 43 goals on Friday as leaders Bayern Munich took a short winter break with a 4-0 victory over Wolfsburg.
The German news agency (dpa) reported that Lewandowski hit the last goal in the net against Jamal Musiala in the 87th minute.
Thomas Muller opened the scoring in the seventh minute of his 400th game in the Premier League before Dayot Opicano and Leroy Sane added the other goals after the break before Lewandowski reached his last feat.
Bayern leads the lead by nine points, ahead of Borussia Dortmund, which concludes the first half of the season on Saturday at the modest Hertha Berlin.
Bayern scored their 23rd win in 25 unbeaten home games against Wolfsburg and finished 2021 with a record 116 league goals, breaking the previous record of 101 goals from Cologne in 1977.
Wolfsburg, meanwhile, fell to its seventh consecutive defeat in all competitions and twelfth place, just three points out of the danger zone.
The first half was difficult because Wolfsburg were disciplined. The second half was very impressive. The key was to win every ball in the middle of the field,” Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann told DAZN.
Looking at Lewandowski’s goal, he added, “I was very happy. Lewy played a good game.”
Wolfsburg coach Florian Kohfeldt said: “It hurts because we didn’t allow a lot in the first half. And then you get the second and right after that. In the end you deserve to lose.”
Bayern wasted no time behind closed doors and were leading 1-0 after seven minutes when Muller netted after goalkeeper Coen Castiels saved a long-range shot from Serge Gnabry.
Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was denied Wout Weghorst’s goal soon after, and their fate was sealed in the 55th minute when Muller hit the ball to Upamecano to score his first goal in Bayern.
Two more minutes later it was 3-0 with Sane’s incredible shot into the far left corner.
Lewandowski hit a high shot in the 66th minute and got a shot by Castiels 10 minutes later, but he finally managed to set the record with three minutes remaining from a short distance.
He didn’t leave it quite as late as in May when he beat Muller’s one-season record by one to 41 goals in the 90th minute of the final against Augsburg.
The Polish striker is on his way to setting similar records with 19 goals this season, with Bayern scoring a record 56 mid-season and expected to challenge their own league record of 101 from 1971 to 1972.
Bayern starts the second half of the season on January 7 against Borussia Moenchengladbach.
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