By Goal.com News on Thursday, 13 May 2021
Category: Goal.com News

Lewandowski tipped to join Messi and Ronaldo in 40-goal club as Gomez hails Bayern Munich's 'fine wine'

The former Allianz Arena frontman considers the Polish striker to sit alongside some all-time greats as an attacking talent

Robert Lewandowski is capable of emulating Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo by breaking through the 40-goal barrier in a season says Mario Gomez, with Bayern Munich's star striker considered to be aging "like fine wine".

At the age of 32, Lewandowski stands on the brink of breaking another record.

He has 39 efforts to his name in the German top-flight this season, leaving him one short of Gerd Muller's history-making haul for a single campaign and within touching distance of a mark that other all-time greats have previously hit in La Liga.

What has been said?

Former Bayern striker Gomez told the club's official website: "The fact that he is chipping away at Muller's record in a season without much of a pre-season and under extreme strain is quite remarkable. It shows that he is a consummate professional with an incredible understanding of his own body. 

"I expected the 40-goal mark to fall at some point. Bayern have dominated the Bundesliga for years, just like Barcelona and Real Madrid in Spain - and there Messi has scored 50 goals in a season, Ronaldo 48. I wish Lewy many more goals, because you can't replace that feeling with anything."

Is Lewandowski a legend?

Lewandowski's efforts this season have seen him record 46 goals in 38 appearances, having hit 55 across all competitions in 2019-20.

Bundesliga champions Bayern still have two games left this term, with every chance that a standing among the finest finishers in the business will be further cemented by a modern day great before the campaign is out.

"We strikers always want to score a goal. That's just the way we were born. For us, there's no greater feeling on the pitch than scoring a goal," Gomez added. "I had that feeling as a little kid when I was playing, and later in training and in games. And I think it's similar with Lewy. He's a striker through and through. 

"When I met him by chance recently, I said to him: 'You're one of those exceptional players who age like fine wine. Like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.'

"I trust him to continue playing at this level for another four or five years. It wasn't like that for me in my mid-30s. I was a striker who lived on my dynamism, on the first few yards of pace, on power. 

"Lewy is completely different. He has everything in his repertoire. He's not just a sprinter, he's the most complete striker in the world. It's crazy how easy he makes scoring goals look. I was at Bayern for four years myself and know how hard it is in reality."

Further reading

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Original author: Chris Burton
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