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The champions of Germany will take on Augsburg in their final match of this Bundesliga season. Robert Lewandowski will be looking to score his 41st goal of the campaign – an all-time record.
Bayern won the Bundesliga again this season, which is hardly surprising given how they have ruled the league over the last decade. Nonetheless, credit must go to their ruthlessness and dominance, which has enabled them to become the Neunmeisters of Germany. Winning the league back-to-back is considered to be a big achievement these days. Bayern have won it nine times in the last ten years, all of those in a row.
Lewandowski has played a major part in their league win this season. The Polish striker has contributed 40 goals out of the 94 his team has scored until now. Both Bayern and Lewandowski have the chance to hit certain milestones on the final day of the season. A 6-0 win – which is more common than one would think when it comes to Bayern – would take them to 100 goals this season in the league.
Lewandowski will need to score only one of those six goals to go down in the history books as the most lethal goal scorer over a single season. His tally of 40 goals from 33 games matches that of Gerd Muller from over 40 years ago. One more, and he will overtake the footballing great and enter a league of his own.
Facing them on the final matchday will be Augsburg – a team which has had its troubles against Bayern Munich in the past, more so than most clubs. Nevertheless, they can play with a relaxed demeanor, safe in the knowledge that relegation is completely out of the picture. Augsburg confirmed their top-flight status for another season last week by beating fellow contenders for the drop – Werder Bremen.
Key Players
Immediately after scoring his 40th goal of the 2020/21 league campaign, Lewandowski lifted his shirt. Underneath it was a tribute to the legendary Gerd Muller, whose single-season record the Polish striker had just matches. Against Augsburg, Lewandowski can overtake Muller and write his name in the history books. He will be on the lookout for his 41st league goal when Augsburg comes to the Allianz Arena. Given how he has performed over the last two years, one would expect him to get that goal.
Like Lewandowski, Thomas Muller is in a league of his own when it comes to assists provided. The German attacker will likely be crowned as the league’s best playmaker for the second season running, that is, unless Daichi Kamada and Filip Kostic record six assists each. Muller’s performances this season in the final third of the pitch have allowed Lewandowski to flourish further ahead. He has provided 18 assists in the competition and could even take his mark to twenty against Augsburg.
The entire Augsburg team has scored six goals fewer than Lewandowski this season, although the same can be said about five other teams. Out of the 34 league goals that the Bundesliga outfit has scored during this campaign, Andre Hahn has the highest share. The forward has scored seven league goals and is Augsburg’s leading scorer in the German league. Moreover, he has provided four assists, making him his team’s second-highest assist provider.
Daniel Caligiuri left Schalke last summer on a free transfer, joining fellow Bundesliga outfit Augsburg. His decision to leave the sinking ship looks better with each passing day, given how badly Schalke’s season has gone. Nevertheless, Schalke’s loss has been Augsburg’s gain. The Italian winger has assisted five times in the league this season for his team, making him their top provider. He has also scored the most league goals out of any Augsburg player, barring Hahn.
Prediction
Bayern Munich almost always beat Augsburg – with or without Robert Lewandowski. The Bavarians have enjoyed playing against this opposition a lot, given that they have won nearly 80 per cent of the matches between them. Augsburg also find it hardest to score against Bayern and have won only two matches against them in their history. Needless to say, the odds are heavily stacked against them ahead of this one.
One would expect Bayern Munich to get all three points from this one, even if they have already completed the task at hand. There are still milestones to be hit, though, with the team just six goals away from hitting the 100-goal mark this season. Lewandowski, meanwhile, will be hoping to score his 41st goal of the league season, making him the player with the most goals in a single campaign. He is currently tied with Gerd Muller on 40 goals in one season.
