One of the special abilities that define a world-class player like Robert Lewandowski is being able to again and again get motivated after big wins – sometimes a dig from a teammate is enough to provoke the exceptional Polish striker to produce top performances.
Ahead of the clash with Hertha Berlin in the first half of the season, Leon Goretzka had this role. "I said to him before the game that he needs time to get going when you look how the other lads do it. I think he felt a bit got at," explained the Germany international back then after the final whistle with a smile on his face. Lewandowski – top goalscorer in three different competitions in the previous season – had demonstrated his goal threat at that point but was behind the leading Bundesliga strikers with just one goal in the first two games.
Spurred on to a four-goal haul
However, thanks to the verbal nudge from Goretzka, the future World Player of the Year took off on matchday three and completed his own version of Connect Four against the club from the capital. Lewandowski scored all the Bayern goals in the 4-3 win against Hertha and he had the last word in an, at times, evenly-balanced game at the Allianz Arena with a penalty converted in added time. That also catapulted the then 32-year-old to the top of the scoring charts, giving an indication of what might be possible that season. In the end, the Pole set a record for the ages in the Bundesliga with 41 goals.
Ahead of the next encounter with the Berliners on Saturday evening (18:30 CEST) - again on Matchday 3 - Lewandowski is now once again in top form: He's scored in his last twelve consecutive Bundesliga games and could soon achieve the next milestone: Only the legendary Gerd Müller managed an even longer scoring streak in Bundesliga history (16 straight games in 1969/70). And with such a big goal in sight, the Pole will certainly not need any extra motivation from his teammates this time round.
Rested against Hertha! Lewandowski was allowed a break in the DFB Cup during the week, and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting put in an impressive shift in his place in Bremen:
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