Started on the bench, came on and turned the game round for FC Bayern with two goals and one assist. That's a possible summary of Robert Lewandowski's Wednesday, which turned out to be rather unusual for the Poland international. The striker was not in the FCB line-up for the first time since the end of October. "I had a bit of a cold and wasn't fit to play for 90 minutes. That's why I was on the bench at the start," explained the 30-year-old after the game.
Lewandowski spent the first 45 minutes as a spectator and witness to a crazy game. After the break, he came on with FCB 2-1 down and he was a key player for the rest of the match. Bayern pressed hard from the restart and the central striker was involved in nearly all the decisive moves. He provided the assist for Thomas Müller's equaliser (53’) with a header, then scored to make it 3-2 (56’) and the FC Bayern number nine topped it off with the winner from the penalty spot (84’).
Those were goals number 183 and 184 in a Bayern shirt putting Lewandowski level with Thomas Müller in third place in the all-time goalscorer's ranking for the record champions. Only Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (217) and Gerd Müller (506) have scored more often for FCB since promotion to the Bundesliga. That is even more impressive when you remember the best overseas striker in the history of the Bundesliga has only needed 233 games to reach that milestone.
Lewandowski has scored in five of the last six cup games with seven goals to his credit and that puts him level with Thomas Müller (both on 29) in tenth place in the all-time DFB Cup goalscorers’ list. "The cup in Germany is always interesting," said the Poland captain in confirming his liking for the competition and expressing his satisfaction at the achievement.
"We were a man down for a long time and scored a goal more in spite of that. Fortunately we’re in the semi-finals," he said summing up the 5-4 win in the crazy cup tie against Heidenheim. Lewandowski again demonstrated his enormous value over the course of those 45 minutes and Bayern fans hope their top striker will be at full strength at the weekend and play for 90 minutes. "There's no problem for Saturday," he declared. So bring on the top game against Borussia Dortmund where Lewandowski can again provide problems for the opposition defence from the start as usual.
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