Robert Lewandowski Becomes 3rd Fastest Player to Net 50 Champions League Goals With Benfica Brace
Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski became the third fastest player to score 50 Champions League goals following his brace in Bayern's 5-1 victory over Benfica.
The Polish forward began the fixture with 49 Champions League goals to his name and it took Lewandowski just 36 minutes against Benfica to find the back of the net. The 30-year-old rose highest to connect with a header to give his side a 3-0 advantage, before grabbing his 51st goal early in the second half.
The Bundesliga hailed Lewandowski's prolific performance on their official website, adding that Lewandowski's 50 goals in 77 matches is the third-fastest of all time, behind just Lionel Messi and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Barcelona star Messi needed 66 matches to net 50 Champions League goals, whilst former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward van Nistelrooy took just 62 appearances to score 50 goals in the competition.
Lewandowski is now also just the seventh player to score 50 Champions League goals, joining the likes of Karim Benzema, Thierry Henry, Raul and current Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo on the list of all-time top goalscorers.
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His goals will have provided some much-needed relief for manager Niko Kovac, who finds himself under an enormous amount of pressure as a result of Bayern's lacklustre start to the new season.
The team find themselves in fifth place in the Bundesliga, with title rivals Borussia Dortmund currently nine points ahead. Fortunately for Bayern, their form in the Champions League has been impressive this season.
Kovac's side currently sit top of Group E and have already secured qualification into the knockout stages of the competition.
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They will travel to Amsterdam to face second-placed Ajax in December, where they can secure a first-place finish in the group if they avoid defeat.
