Robert Lewandowski continued his astonishing Champions League form on Tuesday night, putting Bayern Munich 3-0 up against FC Salzburg with a first-half hat-trick.
The Pole overtook Sebastien Haller as this season's top scorer with his 11-minute goal spree, as Bayern put the tie to bed within half an hour.
Robert Lewandowski: Bayern striker hits incredible 11-minute Champions League hat-trick
It's hardly the most cutting analysis to say that Robert Lewandowksi is very good at football. The Pole has been among the best players in the world for nearly a decade now, and was unlucky not to win the Ballon d'Or in either 2020 (when the award was cancelled) or 2021.
He started this season's Champions League campaign in scintillating fashion, with nine goals across the group stage.
His side, Bayern Munich, entered their last-16 tie with FC Salzburg as strong favourites and contenders for the tournament, but could only take a draw away from the first leg in Austria.
Up stepped Lewandowski in the second leg to take matters into his own hands. Just 12 minutes into the game, he was given the opportunity to put Bayern in front after winning a penalty, and he made no mistake from the spot.
🤜🤛
NO mistake from the spot as Lewandowski gives Bayern the lead vs Salzburg 🔴#UCL pic.twitter.com/SP34xVpYgA
— Watch the UCL on LiveScore 🇮🇪 (@LiveScoreIE) March 8, 2022
Nine minutes later, Lewandowski once again stepped up for a penalty. In an almost carbon copy of his first spot-kick, he buried the ball in the corner to the keeper's right, giving Bayern a 3-1 aggregate lead on home soil and all but sealing their progression to the quarter-finals.
If it wasn't assured at 2-0, it only took Lewandowski two further minutes to do away with any doubt. His hat-trick goal was admittedly quite fortuitous, but it was the Polish striker's perseverance in chasing down the loose ball on two occasions that led to his and Bayern's third strike.
There were just 10 minutes and 22 seconds between Lewandowski's 1st & 3rd goals 🔥
Hat-trick, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 🤜🤛#UCL pic.twitter.com/t7SEDp5Y55
— Watch the UCL on LiveScore 🇮🇪 (@LiveScoreIE) March 8, 2022
Lewandowski completed his treble by the 23rd minute of the first-half, making it the earliest in a game that any player has completed a Champions League hat-trick. Incredibly, it also jumps straight up to third place in the table of fastest ever Champions League hat-tricks, with just 10 minutes and 22 seconds between Lewandowski's first and third goals.
In perhaps the most astonishing stat of the evening, it's now 32 goals in his last 24 Champions League appearances for Lewandowski.
Bayern would go in at the break 4-0 up after Serge Gnabry added another goal before the half-hour. It got even better for them in the second-half, as goals from Leroy Sané and two from Thomas Muller left Bayern with a scarcely believable 7-1 win on the night, and an 8-2 win on aggregate.
Thomas Muller was 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 this one 😂⚽️#UCL pic.twitter.com/xychnqcRXd
— Watch the UCL on LiveScore 🇮🇪 (@LiveScoreIE) March 8, 2022
It's not the first time Lewandowski has scored a rapid hat-trick. In 2015, he went even better and hit five goals from open play in just nine minutes in a Bundesliga game against Wolfsburg. That goal spree led to one of our favourite ever in-game reactions from Pep Guardiola
Some were questioning Bayern's credentials to win this season's Champions League after the first leg against Salzburg. Despite the low ranking of Salzburg among the teams in the last 16, it was nonetheless a massive statement of intent from Bayern on Wednesday night.
If they continue to fire in this manner, especially with Robert Lewandowski on top form, they will be hard to stop.
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