Courtesy: UEFA/X
Barcelona had a memorable night on Tuesday, November 26, as they made it four Champions League victories in a row, defeating Brest 3-0 at the Estadi Olimpic in Montjuic. However, the joy wasn't limited to winning the game as there was some history created by striker Robert Lewandowski, who became only the third player in Champions League history to reach 100 goals. Lewandowski scored a first-half penalty to reach the milestone, to give Barcelona the lead in their group-stage match against Brest before adding his 101st goal in UCL as the hosts won convincingly.
The 36-year-old joins the league of Cristiano Ronaldo (149) and Lionel Messi (129) as players with a century of European Cup goals. During the post-match interview, Lewandowski was very content to reach the milestone, and joining the league of top football players in the world. 'I'm very content, very happy. Sometimes I didn't believe I would reach this impressive figure in the Champions League,' he said.
Watch the video of Robert Lewandowski here:
I am proud of myself and for the team: Robert Lewandoski on reaching the milestone
Robert Lewandowski achieved the milestone of 100 goals in his 125th game, slower than Messi (123rd) but faster than Ronaldo (137th). Being proud of his achievement, he said, 'To be close to these two great names in football history... I’m just trying to do my best. Of course, it’s difficult to catch up to them, to be near their level, but you always have to dream. I didn’t believe I could score over 100 goals in the Champions League, and today I’m here. I can be proud of myself and also of the team, for how we’re playing and the goals we’re scoring. There are so many young players at this club; sometimes I feel like a teenager, and that makes me stronger at times.'
Lewandowski's Goals Distribution in the Champions League
The Warsaw striker's 100 UEFA Champions League goals happened after playing for three clubs. During the initial stage of his football career with Borussia Dortmund, he scored 17 goals in 28 games. He joined Bayern Munich in the 2014-15 season, and stayed for eight years, collecting 69 goals in 78 Champions League games.
After joining Barcelona in the 2022-23 season, he appeared in 19 matches in Europe's premier tournament, and scored 14 goals. Lewandowski has competed in every Champions League campaign since 2011-12. Adding to his achievements, he scored the third most goals in La Liga, Bundesliga, Premier League, Serie A, and Ligue 1 after moving to Borussia Dortmund from Lech Poznan in 2010.
