As the newest member of the 100 club puts on his metaphorical blazer, we salute Lewandowski's achievement
Listen to Robert Lewandowski reflect on his century of Champions League goals and it’s tempting to recall Groucho Marx. Famously, the American comedian once quipped he would never join a club that accepted him as a member, a cheeky barb dripping with self-deprecation. Lewandowski’s own take is practically the polar opposite, but he too offers up a surprising jolt of humility. In his case, the Polish striker is thrilled to have recently joined a club – and all the more so because he doubted it would ever beckon him through its doors.
“I never thought I’d score 100 goals in the Champions League,” says the 36-year-old, who joined the ranks of the centurions in November with a penalty against Brest. “I’ve always known I need to work very hard to meet any challenge. No matter who I’ve played for, I’ve always strived for excellence – to score from different angles, to be ready for anything. Football means overcoming your weaknesses.”
His modesty may stem from a common belief that he is less naturally gifted than his fellow members of the 100 club, more a cold-eyed predator than a conjuror of the sublime. Make no mistake, however, Lewandowski is anything but the odd man out, the Barcelona No9 having brought up triple figures in his 125th appearance – 12 fewer than Cristiano Ronaldo and just two more than it took Lionel Messi. More impressive still, he ended the Brest game with a better strike rate than both.
“There were huge emotions before the penalty, but I knew I had to focus on scoring,” he adds. Remembering that “magical moment”, the former Dortmund and Bayern ace glosses over the fact he struck a second effort that night, but that too is typical of a player who seems genuinely moved to have joined the elite. “I still haven’t taken in what happened. There’s pride and joy, a feeling you’ve done something extraordinary.”
Poland’s all-time record marksman can likewise pride himself on the calibre of his goals. There’s an old-school purity to his talents, much of his best work done off the ball – the movement, timing and vision, his puppet-master’s ability to eliminate defenders. To celebrate a Lewandowski goal is to highlight forward play at its slickest, so to zero in on a top five ought to mean capturing what he does best.
Forget, then, his free-kick against Atlético de Madrid in 2016. It’s a fantastic curling effort, but it’s an outlier, unlike his third strike in a four-goal haul against Real Madrid in 2013. Almost single-handedly dragging Dortmund into the final, Lewandowski completed his first Champions League hat-trick thanks to quick feet and instinct, receiving a loose ball in the area and dragging it back and away from Pepe before blasting high into the net.
The following season, he showcased his crisp technique at Arsenal, racing from deep to meet a cross and tuck a volley inside the near post. There’s a frictionless grace to his run and finish – a deft counterpoint to his equaliser for Bayern against Barcelona in the 2014/15 semis. This time, Lewandowski collected the ball on the edge of the area with Javier Mascherano blocking his angles, only to jink this way and that while eking out space for a shot in off the post.
Picking his finest headed goal is another conundrum, but there’s a strong case to be made for his opener at GNK Dinamo in 2015, Lewandowski ghosting beyond his marker to glance a diving header into the far corner at the limit of offside.
And, naturally, this list would not be complete without his overhead kick in heavy snow at Dynamo Kyiv in 2021, the then Bayern forward reacting fastest to confusion in the box by thrashing the orange ball into the net with acrobatic brio.
The first man to notch Champions League hat-tricks for three different clubs, Lewandowski feels he has more to come too. Unlike Messi and Ronaldo, most of his goals in the competition have come since he turned 30, and it remains his preferred stage. “My achievements in the Champions League will be my legacy,” he asserts. “Still, I hope there are more challenges ahead. I know I still have a long way to go.”
As the newest member of the 100 club puts on his metaphorical blazer, we salute Lewandowski's achievement
Listen to Robert Lewandowski reflect on his century of Champions League goals and it’s tempting to recall Groucho Marx. Famously, the American comedian once quipped he would never join a club that accepted him as a member, a cheeky barb dripping with self-deprecation. Lewandowski’s own take is practically the polar opposite, but he too offers up a surprising jolt of humility. In his case, the Polish striker is thrilled to have recently joined a club – and all the more so because he doubted it would ever beckon him through its doors.
“I never thought I’d score 100 goals in the Champions League,” says the 36-year-old, who joined the ranks of the centurions in November with a penalty against Brest. “I’ve always known I need to work very hard to meet any challenge. No matter who I’ve played for, I’ve always strived for excellence – to score from different angles, to be ready for anything. Football means overcoming your weaknesses.”
His modesty may stem from a common belief that he is less naturally gifted than his fellow members of the 100 club, more a cold-eyed predator than a conjuror of the sublime. Make no mistake, however, Lewandowski is anything but the odd man out, the Barcelona No9 having brought up triple figures in his 125th appearance – 12 fewer than Cristiano Ronaldo and just two more than it took Lionel Messi. More impressive still, he ended the Brest game with a better strike rate than both.
“There were huge emotions before the penalty, but I knew I had to focus on scoring,” he adds. Remembering that “magical moment”, the former Dortmund and Bayern ace glosses over the fact he struck a second effort that night, but that too is typical of a player who seems genuinely moved to have joined the elite. “I still haven’t taken in what happened. There’s pride and joy, a feeling you’ve done something extraordinary.”
Poland’s all-time record marksman can likewise pride himself on the calibre of his goals. There’s an old-school purity to his talents, much of his best work done off the ball – the movement, timing and vision, his puppet-master’s ability to eliminate defenders. To celebrate a Lewandowski goal is to highlight forward play at its slickest, so to zero in on a top five ought to mean capturing what he does best.
Forget, then, his free-kick against Atlético de Madrid in 2016. It’s a fantastic curling effort, but it’s an outlier, unlike his third strike in a four-goal haul against Real Madrid in 2013. Almost single-handedly dragging Dortmund into the final, Lewandowski completed his first Champions League hat-trick thanks to quick feet and instinct, receiving a loose ball in the area and dragging it back and away from Pepe before blasting high into the net.
The following season, he showcased his crisp technique at Arsenal, racing from deep to meet a cross and tuck a volley inside the near post. There’s a frictionless grace to his run and finish – a deft counterpoint to his equaliser for Bayern against Barcelona in the 2014/15 semis. This time, Lewandowski collected the ball on the edge of the area with Javier Mascherano blocking his angles, only to jink this way and that while eking out space for a shot in off the post.
Picking his finest headed goal is another conundrum, but there’s a strong case to be made for his opener at GNK Dinamo in 2015, Lewandowski ghosting beyond his marker to glance a diving header into the far corner at the limit of offside.
And, naturally, this list would not be complete without his overhead kick in heavy snow at Dynamo Kyiv in 2021, the then Bayern forward reacting fastest to confusion in the box by thrashing the orange ball into the net with acrobatic brio.
The first man to notch Champions League hat-tricks for three different clubs, Lewandowski feels he has more to come too. Unlike Messi and Ronaldo, most of his goals in the competition have come since he turned 30, and it remains his preferred stage. “My achievements in the Champions League will be my legacy,” he asserts. “Still, I hope there are more challenges ahead. I know I still have a long way to go.”
As the newest member of the 100 club puts on his metaphorical blazer, we salute Lewandowski's achievement
Listen to Robert Lewandowski reflect on his century of Champions League goals and it’s tempting to recall Groucho Marx. Famously, the American comedian once quipped he would never join a club that accepted him as a member, a cheeky barb dripping with self-deprecation. Lewandowski’s own take is practically the polar opposite, but he too offers up a surprising jolt of humility. In his case, the Polish striker is thrilled to have recently joined a club – and all the more so because he doubted it would ever beckon him through its doors.
“I never thought I’d score 100 goals in the Champions League,” says the 36-year-old, who joined the ranks of the centurions in November with a penalty against Brest. “I’ve always known I need to work very hard to meet any challenge. No matter who I’ve played for, I’ve always strived for excellence – to score from different angles, to be ready for anything. Football means overcoming your weaknesses.”
His modesty may stem from a common belief that he is less naturally gifted than his fellow members of the 100 club, more a cold-eyed predator than a conjuror of the sublime. Make no mistake, however, Lewandowski is anything but the odd man out, the Barcelona No9 having brought up triple figures in his 125th appearance – 12 fewer than Cristiano Ronaldo and just two more than it took Lionel Messi. More impressive still, he ended the Brest game with a better strike rate than both.
“There were huge emotions before the penalty, but I knew I had to focus on scoring,” he adds. Remembering that “magical moment”, the former Dortmund and Bayern ace glosses over the fact he struck a second effort that night, but that too is typical of a player who seems genuinely moved to have joined the elite. “I still haven’t taken in what happened. There’s pride and joy, a feeling you’ve done something extraordinary.”
Poland’s all-time record marksman can likewise pride himself on the calibre of his goals. There’s an old-school purity to his talents, much of his best work done off the ball – the movement, timing and vision, his puppet-master’s ability to eliminate defenders. To celebrate a Lewandowski goal is to highlight forward play at its slickest, so to zero in on a top five ought to mean capturing what he does best.
Forget, then, his free-kick against Atlético de Madrid in 2016. It’s a fantastic curling effort, but it’s an outlier, unlike his third strike in a four-goal haul against Real Madrid in 2013. Almost single-handedly dragging Dortmund into the final, Lewandowski completed his first Champions League hat-trick thanks to quick feet and instinct, receiving a loose ball in the area and dragging it back and away from Pepe before blasting high into the net.
The following season, he showcased his crisp technique at Arsenal, racing from deep to meet a cross and tuck a volley inside the near post. There’s a frictionless grace to his run and finish – a deft counterpoint to his equaliser for Bayern against Barcelona in the 2014/15 semis. This time, Lewandowski collected the ball on the edge of the area with Javier Mascherano blocking his angles, only to jink this way and that while eking out space for a shot in off the post.
Picking his finest headed goal is another conundrum, but there’s a strong case to be made for his opener at GNK Dinamo in 2015, Lewandowski ghosting beyond his marker to glance a diving header into the far corner at the limit of offside.
And, naturally, this list would not be complete without his overhead kick in heavy snow at Dynamo Kyiv in 2021, the then Bayern forward reacting fastest to confusion in the box by thrashing the orange ball into the net with acrobatic brio.
The first man to notch Champions League hat-tricks for three different clubs, Lewandowski feels he has more to come too. Unlike Messi and Ronaldo, most of his goals in the competition have come since he turned 30, and it remains his preferred stage. “My achievements in the Champions League will be my legacy,” he asserts. “Still, I hope there are more challenges ahead. I know I still have a long way to go.”
As the newest member of the 100 club puts on his metaphorical blazer, we salute Lewandowski's achievement
Listen to Robert Lewandowski reflect on his century of Champions League goals and it’s tempting to recall Groucho Marx. Famously, the American comedian once quipped he would never join a club that accepted him as a member, a cheeky barb dripping with self-deprecation. Lewandowski’s own take is practically the polar opposite, but he too offers up a surprising jolt of humility. In his case, the Polish striker is thrilled to have recently joined a club – and all the more so because he doubted it would ever beckon him through its doors.
“I never thought I’d score 100 goals in the Champions League,” says the 36-year-old, who joined the ranks of the centurions in November with a penalty against Brest. “I’ve always known I need to work very hard to meet any challenge. No matter who I’ve played for, I’ve always strived for excellence – to score from different angles, to be ready for anything. Football means overcoming your weaknesses.”
His modesty may stem from a common belief that he is less naturally gifted than his fellow members of the 100 club, more a cold-eyed predator than a conjuror of the sublime. Make no mistake, however, Lewandowski is anything but the odd man out, the Barcelona No9 having brought up triple figures in his 125th appearance – 12 fewer than Cristiano Ronaldo and just two more than it took Lionel Messi. More impressive still, he ended the Brest game with a better strike rate than both.
“There were huge emotions before the penalty, but I knew I had to focus on scoring,” he adds. Remembering that “magical moment”, the former Dortmund and Bayern ace glosses over the fact he struck a second effort that night, but that too is typical of a player who seems genuinely moved to have joined the elite. “I still haven’t taken in what happened. There’s pride and joy, a feeling you’ve done something extraordinary.”
Poland’s all-time record marksman can likewise pride himself on the calibre of his goals. There’s an old-school purity to his talents, much of his best work done off the ball – the movement, timing and vision, his puppet-master’s ability to eliminate defenders. To celebrate a Lewandowski goal is to highlight forward play at its slickest, so to zero in on a top five ought to mean capturing what he does best.
Forget, then, his free-kick against Atlético de Madrid in 2016. It’s a fantastic curling effort, but it’s an outlier, unlike his third strike in a four-goal haul against Real Madrid in 2013. Almost single-handedly dragging Dortmund into the final, Lewandowski completed his first Champions League hat-trick thanks to quick feet and instinct, receiving a loose ball in the area and dragging it back and away from Pepe before blasting high into the net.
The following season, he showcased his crisp technique at Arsenal, racing from deep to meet a cross and tuck a volley inside the near post. There’s a frictionless grace to his run and finish – a deft counterpoint to his equaliser for Bayern against Barcelona in the 2014/15 semis. This time, Lewandowski collected the ball on the edge of the area with Javier Mascherano blocking his angles, only to jink this way and that while eking out space for a shot in off the post.
Picking his finest headed goal is another conundrum, but there’s a strong case to be made for his opener at GNK Dinamo in 2015, Lewandowski ghosting beyond his marker to glance a diving header into the far corner at the limit of offside.
And, naturally, this list would not be complete without his overhead kick in heavy snow at Dynamo Kyiv in 2021, the then Bayern forward reacting fastest to confusion in the box by thrashing the orange ball into the net with acrobatic brio.
The first man to notch Champions League hat-tricks for three different clubs, Lewandowski feels he has more to come too. Unlike Messi and Ronaldo, most of his goals in the competition have come since he turned 30, and it remains his preferred stage. “My achievements in the Champions League will be my legacy,” he asserts. “Still, I hope there are more challenges ahead. I know I still have a long way to go.”
As the newest member of the 100 club puts on his metaphorical blazer, we salute Lewandowski's achievement
Listen to Robert Lewandowski reflect on his century of Champions League goals and it’s tempting to recall Groucho Marx. Famously, the American comedian once quipped he would never join a club that accepted him as a member, a cheeky barb dripping with self-deprecation. Lewandowski’s own take is practically the polar opposite, but he too offers up a surprising jolt of humility. In his case, the Polish striker is thrilled to have recently joined a club – and all the more so because he doubted it would ever beckon him through its doors.
“I never thought I’d score 100 goals in the Champions League,” says the 36-year-old, who joined the ranks of the centurions in November with a penalty against Brest. “I’ve always known I need to work very hard to meet any challenge. No matter who I’ve played for, I’ve always strived for excellence – to score from different angles, to be ready for anything. Football means overcoming your weaknesses.”
His modesty may stem from a common belief that he is less naturally gifted than his fellow members of the 100 club, more a cold-eyed predator than a conjuror of the sublime. Make no mistake, however, Lewandowski is anything but the odd man out, the Barcelona No9 having brought up triple figures in his 125th appearance – 12 fewer than Cristiano Ronaldo and just two more than it took Lionel Messi. More impressive still, he ended the Brest game with a better strike rate than both.
“There were huge emotions before the penalty, but I knew I had to focus on scoring,” he adds. Remembering that “magical moment”, the former Dortmund and Bayern ace glosses over the fact he struck a second effort that night, but that too is typical of a player who seems genuinely moved to have joined the elite. “I still haven’t taken in what happened. There’s pride and joy, a feeling you’ve done something extraordinary.”
Poland’s all-time record marksman can likewise pride himself on the calibre of his goals. There’s an old-school purity to his talents, much of his best work done off the ball – the movement, timing and vision, his puppet-master’s ability to eliminate defenders. To celebrate a Lewandowski goal is to highlight forward play at its slickest, so to zero in on a top five ought to mean capturing what he does best.
Forget, then, his free-kick against Atlético de Madrid in 2016. It’s a fantastic curling effort, but it’s an outlier, unlike his third strike in a four-goal haul against Real Madrid in 2013. Almost single-handedly dragging Dortmund into the final, Lewandowski completed his first Champions League hat-trick thanks to quick feet and instinct, receiving a loose ball in the area and dragging it back and away from Pepe before blasting high into the net.
The following season, he showcased his crisp technique at Arsenal, racing from deep to meet a cross and tuck a volley inside the near post. There’s a frictionless grace to his run and finish – a deft counterpoint to his equaliser for Bayern against Barcelona in the 2014/15 semis. This time, Lewandowski collected the ball on the edge of the area with Javier Mascherano blocking his angles, only to jink this way and that while eking out space for a shot in off the post.
Picking his finest headed goal is another conundrum, but there’s a strong case to be made for his opener at GNK Dinamo in 2015, Lewandowski ghosting beyond his marker to glance a diving header into the far corner at the limit of offside.
And, naturally, this list would not be complete without his overhead kick in heavy snow at Dynamo Kyiv in 2021, the then Bayern forward reacting fastest to confusion in the box by thrashing the orange ball into the net with acrobatic brio.
The first man to notch Champions League hat-tricks for three different clubs, Lewandowski feels he has more to come too. Unlike Messi and Ronaldo, most of his goals in the competition have come since he turned 30, and it remains his preferred stage. “My achievements in the Champions League will be my legacy,” he asserts. “Still, I hope there are more challenges ahead. I know I still have a long way to go.”
As the newest member of the 100 club puts on his metaphorical blazer, we salute Lewandowski's achievement
Listen to Robert Lewandowski reflect on his century of Champions League goals and it’s tempting to recall Groucho Marx. Famously, the American comedian once quipped he would never join a club that accepted him as a member, a cheeky barb dripping with self-deprecation. Lewandowski’s own take is practically the polar opposite, but he too offers up a surprising jolt of humility. In his case, the Polish striker is thrilled to have recently joined a club – and all the more so because he doubted it would ever beckon him through its doors.
“I never thought I’d score 100 goals in the Champions League,” says the 36-year-old, who joined the ranks of the centurions in November with a penalty against Brest. “I’ve always known I need to work very hard to meet any challenge. No matter who I’ve played for, I’ve always strived for excellence – to score from different angles, to be ready for anything. Football means overcoming your weaknesses.”
His modesty may stem from a common belief that he is less naturally gifted than his fellow members of the 100 club, more a cold-eyed predator than a conjuror of the sublime. Make no mistake, however, Lewandowski is anything but the odd man out, the Barcelona No9 having brought up triple figures in his 125th appearance – 12 fewer than Cristiano Ronaldo and just two more than it took Lionel Messi. More impressive still, he ended the Brest game with a better strike rate than both.
“There were huge emotions before the penalty, but I knew I had to focus on scoring,” he adds. Remembering that “magical moment”, the former Dortmund and Bayern ace glosses over the fact he struck a second effort that night, but that too is typical of a player who seems genuinely moved to have joined the elite. “I still haven’t taken in what happened. There’s pride and joy, a feeling you’ve done something extraordinary.”
Poland’s all-time record marksman can likewise pride himself on the calibre of his goals. There’s an old-school purity to his talents, much of his best work done off the ball – the movement, timing and vision, his puppet-master’s ability to eliminate defenders. To celebrate a Lewandowski goal is to highlight forward play at its slickest, so to zero in on a top five ought to mean capturing what he does best.
Forget, then, his free-kick against Atlético de Madrid in 2016. It’s a fantastic curling effort, but it’s an outlier, unlike his third strike in a four-goal haul against Real Madrid in 2013. Almost single-handedly dragging Dortmund into the final, Lewandowski completed his first Champions League hat-trick thanks to quick feet and instinct, receiving a loose ball in the area and dragging it back and away from Pepe before blasting high into the net.
The following season, he showcased his crisp technique at Arsenal, racing from deep to meet a cross and tuck a volley inside the near post. There’s a frictionless grace to his run and finish – a deft counterpoint to his equaliser for Bayern against Barcelona in the 2014/15 semis. This time, Lewandowski collected the ball on the edge of the area with Javier Mascherano blocking his angles, only to jink this way and that while eking out space for a shot in off the post.
Picking his finest headed goal is another conundrum, but there’s a strong case to be made for his opener at GNK Dinamo in 2015, Lewandowski ghosting beyond his marker to glance a diving header into the far corner at the limit of offside.
And, naturally, this list would not be complete without his overhead kick in heavy snow at Dynamo Kyiv in 2021, the then Bayern forward reacting fastest to confusion in the box by thrashing the orange ball into the net with acrobatic brio.
The first man to notch Champions League hat-tricks for three different clubs, Lewandowski feels he has more to come too. Unlike Messi and Ronaldo, most of his goals in the competition have come since he turned 30, and it remains his preferred stage. “My achievements in the Champions League will be my legacy,” he asserts. “Still, I hope there are more challenges ahead. I know I still have a long way to go.”
