Robert Lewandowski is just one goal away from writing his name in FC Barcelona's top 10 historic goalscoring list, prompting questions on how far he sits from legend Lionel Messi. Robert Lewandowski has already said his goodbyes to FC Barcelona fans at Camp Nou, but he still has one final opportunity to etch his name a little deeper into the club’s history by cracking the all-time top 10 scorers list. With that milestone within reach, the question of just how far the Polish striker stands from the club’s greatest legend, Lionel Messi, is worth examining. In the match against Real Betis on Sunday, Lewandowski was substituted in the 85th minute to a standing ovation from the Camp Nou crowd, and after the final whistle he took to the center of the pitch alongside his family to say his farewells. “Thank you very much for coming today; for me, this is an emotional and difficult day, but when I arrived, I knew this was a massive club, and with your affection, it has been incredible,” he began. “From day one, I felt at home. I will never forget when you chant my name. Thank you to the players, the coaches, and the staff; it has been an honor to work for this club. We have experienced great moments over these four years, and I feel proud of everything we have done together. I say goodbye at the stadium, but I will always carry Barca in my heart. Thank you to you, the fans. Once a Culer, always a Culer. Visca el Barca and visca Catalunya,” he concluded, visibly moved by the occasion. Across his four seasons at Barcelona, Lewandowski has accumulated 119 goals in 192 appearances, posting an impressive scoring rate of 0.62 goals per game despite arriving at the club at the age of 33. With Barcelona having already secured the La Liga title, there is one game remaining against Valencia on Saturday, May 23, giving the striker a final opportunity to add to his legacy. Robert Lewandowski of FC Barcelona is hoisted by teammates. According to Transfermarkt, Lewandowski currently sits 11th on the all-time Barcelona scoring charts, one goal behind Josep Escola, who played for the club in the 1930s and 1940s and recorded 120 goals in 191 appearances. A single goal against Valencia would draw him level with Escola and move him into the top 10; two would give him sole possession of that spot. The comparison with his time at Bayern Munich is instructive. Lewandowski stands as the Bavarians’ second all-time top scorer with 344 goals, trailing only the legendary Gerd Müller at 570. The key distinction is that he spent eight years at Bayern in the prime of his career, while arriving at Barcelona already as a veteran, making his four-year impact at the Catalan club all the more remarkable. Lewandowski still far from the top foreign scorers and Messi In just four seasons, Lewandowski won over the Barcelona fanbase during a period marked by financial uncertainty and institutional upheaval at the club. Yet when it comes to pure output, he falls short not only of Lionel Messi but also of several foreign legends who left their mark at the Blaugrana. Messi stands alone at the top of the all-time scoring charts with 672 goals in 778 games, an extraordinary average of 0.86 goals per game, equating to a goal roughly every 95 minutes. Lewandowski’s rate of one goal every 118 minutes, while impressive for a player of his age, highlights the considerable gap between the two. Among Barcelona’s foreign-born scorers specifically, Lewandowski currently sits seventh, trailing Luis Suarez with 195 goals, Laszlo Kubala with 193, Samuel Eto’o and Rivaldo with 130 each, and Patrick Kluivert with 122. Notably, however, Lewandowski has achieved his tally in fewer appearances than any other player on that list, making his four-year contribution one of the most efficient in the club’s modern era.
Harry Kane missed the first penalty kick of his Bundesliga career on Saturday – but he’s got the perfect excuse for failing to create history. The 32-year-old was presented with the golden chance to open the deadlock in the eventual 1-0 win away at Wolfsburg in the 36th minute. Kane failed to hit the target from 12 yards out in Bayern’s clash against WolfsburgGetty It would have been his 25th successive spot-kick since making the move to Germany from Tottenham Hotspur in 2023. And he would have also fired in his 11th penalty this term, which would have written his name in the history books, as well as grabbing his 56th strike for the Bavarian giants in all competitions. He currently is the joint-record holder for most converted penalties [ten] in a single Bundesliga season – tied with ex-Bayern star Paul Breitner – who achieved the feat in the 1980/81 campaign. Kane you believe it? But the England skipper skied his attempt high and wide when looking for the top right corner after slipping as he planted his standing foot. The striker immediately looked down at the spot. And he was right to do so. New footage shown from the VAR review of the penalty clearly sees Wolfsburg centre-back Jeanuel Belocian stamping on the spot – not once – but twice. Speaking to Bild after the match, the France youth international was pressed as to whether he deliberately attempted to sabotage Kane. To which he simply stated: “Yes, that was easy.” His teammate Patrick Wimmer was thankful for the 21-year-old’s actions, which kept them in the game as they battle to stay in the division. Belocian’s actions may have been the reason for Kane missing a rare penaltyReddit Kane instantly looked to the penalty spot after slipping as he took the shotGetty He told Sky Sport Germany: “These are the sort of dirty little tricks you might have to resort to sometimes when you’re down there. “Whether that’s why it happened to Harry Kane, we don’t know, maybe it was down to his boots.” Bayern starlet Tom Bischof was left incensed by the stamp – deeming Belocian’s behaviour as unacceptable. He said: “I know Wolfsburg are battling relegation, but that action was unnecessary. Fair play should always apply, even when the stakes are high.” Though Bayern boss Vincent Kompany took a more level-headed approach, insisting he understands why Belocian did what he did. The Manchester City legend stated: “What do you expect them to do? Should they just clap when we score a goal? Kane has scored all of his 25 previous penalties before his miss at WolfsburgGetty “Should they just get relegated without giving it their all? “That the Wolfsburg player did that? Of course he shouldn’t have done it. But I can understand it too.” Thankfully for Kane – and Bayern – they walked away with the three points after Michael Olise’s 56th minute stunner from range. Bayern’s final Bundesliga game of the season comes next weekend against FC Koln [Cologne], before they battle Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal final. As for Wolfsburg, the defeat leaves them in 16th spot and on course for a two-legged play-off tie against the third-placed team from Bundesliga 2 – which is currently Hannnover 96. But they will be relegated if they lose to St Pauli in their next fixture, with their upcoming opponents sitting in 17th place and only behind on goal difference.
Kane misses first Bundesliga spot-kick in 25 attempts in winSlavia-Sparta derby abandoned after pitch invasionHarry Kane missed a penalty as Bayern Munich failed to hit top form but the Bundesliga champions still edged struggling Wolfsburg 1-0 to bounce back after their midweek Champions League semi-final exit to Paris Saint-Germain.Bayern, who won with a Michael Olise goal, had suffered a 6-5 aggregate loss to PSG after their 1-1 draw in Munich on Wednesday, narrowly missing out on what would have been their first Champions League final in six years. The frustration was evident at the start as the Bavarian side, with six changes in the lineup, lacked their usual attacking spark despite having Kane, the top scorer, in the starting XI. Continue reading...
