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Since the outset of the 2019-20 season, Polish goal-machine Robert Lewandowski has literally been tearing defences apart single-handedly and putting on a show, even by his own standards. He is one of those quintessential strikers that every team wants because he possesses the ability to score all kinds of goals and is definitely the elite No.9 in the business.
Unless you've been living under a rock, you must've come across the accounts of his top-notch performances for Bayern Munich.
He is in a league of his own in the European Golden Shoe rankings, at least for now, as he has scored a whopping 13 goals in just nine Bundesliga games.
But, it's not just that he has been exceptional just this season, he has been the linchpin of the team for the past few seasons. Recently, he made headlines as he created history by registering at leas tone goal in most consecutive league fixtures from the get-go, a streak that might yet be extended further.
He has always been one of the most overlooked and underrated players of our generation and was even snubbed of the Bundesliga Player of the season last term, despite his impressive return of 22 goals and seven assists.
Though we tend to turn to the duo of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo when it comes counting down records, Biało-czerwoni captain also boasts of some records that even the five-time Ballon d'Or winners can never achieve.
So, here's the countdown of five of the best goal-scoring records of the 31-year-old who is setting the pitch on fire.
#5 Most goals scored in a single FIFA World Cup qualification campaign: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification - 16
We kick off our list with one of the records he established on international duty, that perfectly demonstrates just how prolific he is operating in the final third.
His contribution towards the Eagles' first appearance at the FIFA World Cup finals in 2018 after an absence of eight years, following the failure to qualify for the main event in 2010 and 2014, was in true sense invaluable.
He scored a total of 16 goals in the qualifying campaign, overtaking none other than Ronaldo, who had 15 goals in the same campaign for Portugal, thus establishing a substantial precedent for the upcoming crop of strikers.
But he failed to replicate his form at the finals, as he drew a blank in all the group stage fixtures and Poland were sent home packing from the group stage itself.
#4 Fastest hat-trick in the Bundesliga - 3 mins 22 seconds
Hat-tricks are special for a striker, as it's not every day that one is able to get the better of the opposing goalkeeper three times within the span of 90 minutes, which as we all know, go by pretty quickly.
Not only does finding the back of the net thrice on the same night guarantee the match-ball for the player, but it is also a moment that a striker cherishes for a long time.
Well, what can make the experience of scoring a hat-trick even better? How about scoring it in record time? Sounds exciting right, because it is.
Robert Lewandowski did just that when he incredibly managed to score a hat-trick in exactly 3 min 22 seconds on 22 September 2015, a day that is now part of German top-flight folklore. It came against a hapless Wolfsburg side after coming on as a second half-substitute!
Interestingly, that was also his first hat-trick in Bayern Munich colours. Later that night, he also went on to achieve the fastest four-goal and five-goal hauls in the competition in 5 mins 42 seconds and 8 mins 59 seconds respectively.
#3 Fastest time to score five goals in a match (across all European leagues)- 8 mins 59 seconds
The former Borussia Dortmund striker put on a five-star display on 22 September 2015 that even left the then manager Pep Guardiola stunned, who was pictured with his hands over his head in astonishment of what he had just witnessed.
The Pole scored the fastest five-goal haul in a major European league since Opta started recording stats, in just under nine minutes, to cement his place in the record books.
To really understand how significant this achievement is, we need to take a quick recap of the events that occurred that day. The Polish striker was on the field for less than six minutes before he equalized for the Bavarian giants in the second half, who had conceded a goal in the first half.
The following nine minutes were pure magic and the time could've been even lesser, if celebrations would've been cut short, but it's not their fault as nobody could've predicted the Pole's insane record-breaking exploits in advance.
#2 Most goals scored in a single UEFA EURO qualification campaign: UEFA Euro 2016 - 13
Robert Lewandowski is the most prolific striker of his country till date and is their all-time top goalscorer with 60 goals.
A majority of his goals have come fairly recently, with almost half of the tally coming in the Euro 2016 and World Cup 2018 qualifiers.
He has also helped his nation qualify for the Euro 2020 finals by scoring five goals so far in the ongoing qualifying campaign.
But, it was the 2016 Euro qualifying rounds that brought out the best of what the four-time Torjägerkanone winner has to offer. He scored a record-equaling 13 goals in 10 appearances, including a four-goal haul against Gibraltar and another quickfire hat-trick against Georgia, which he rounded off in just four minutes.
In doing so, he matched the tally of former Northern Ireland striker David Healy, who first set the record in the 2008 campaign.
#1 First player in Bundesliga history to score in the opening nine games of a campaign
Probably the best player in the German top-flight at the moment, Robert Lewandowski is out to prove that he is the undisputed top striker in the world at the moment. So, we sign off our countdown with the most recent of his records.
The Bayern Munich striker became the first player in Bundesliga history to score in the opening nine games of a campaign, bettering the tally of Arsenal sharpshooter Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who scored in the first eight games of the 2015/16 season.
He has always been dominant in the Bundesliga and has multiple records to his name, that include the most goals scored by a non-German player at 215. He is also only one of the four legends to reach the 200-goal mark, besides being the fastest foreigner to score 100 goals in just 168 games.
As of 2019, he has the most goals across any of Europe's top five leagues for club and country, with 37, and he recently climbed up to fifth in the UEFA Champions League all-time top scorers charts with a brace in Bayern's win over Olympiacos.
How far will he go this season? Only time will tell, but we are definitely excited for it.
