August 18, (THEWILL) – It was another showpiece of one legendary goal-scorer sending off another in Tuesday’s Super Cup final in Germany as Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski netted a brace to give an appropriate send-off to their club legend and iconic record-setter Gerd Muller, who passed away two days ago, as THEWILL reported.
Back when Gerd Muller signed for Bayern in 1964, the Bavarian giants of today were not the biggest club in their own city, let alone the country. All they had in terms of major titles consisted of a single league championship in 1932 and a maiden DFB-Pokal success 25 years later.
But Bayern have come a long way now to the point of celebrating Muller with a record-extending ninth DFL-Supercup triumph.
Yet, that victory and their Bundesliga dominance, ongoing for a lengthy period can all be traced back to Muller’s decision to move to Bayern rather than to city rivals 1860 Munich.
Muller was there for the first four Bundesliga titles, all of which he finished as the top scorer, and for three European Cups in three years, with teammate Jupp Heynckes as the leading marksman in the third season, while Muller followed closely behind.
In the 15 years he dominated the German league, the remarkable forward tallied 566 Bayern goals, a benchmark that stands to this day. In addition to that feat, Muller’s Bundesliga total of 365 is also unsurpassed and may be so for a very long time.
However, as difficult as breaking these numbers may seem, Lewandowski finally succeeded last season when his 41 goals in a single Bundesliga campaign, edged beyond the Muller’s long-standing record of 40 set in the 1971/1972 season.
It was only fitting that it was Lewandoski again that would lay the groundwork for a commemorative celebration of the life of the Bayern icon on Tuesday night at the Signal Iduna Park. The striker clutched a number nine shirt ahead of kick-off as a moment’s silence broke into applause, with even Borussia Dortmund fans recognising a legacy that goes beyond club affiliations.
Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer, another of the Bayern players carrying a Muller shirt, kept Dortmund at bay at their end. His crucial four big saves, ensured that Julian Nagelsmann not only recorded his first victory as manager of the side but gets an early trophy to wrap his arms around.
Lewandowski made certain of that as he showed he had taken on Muller’s mantle for the club in his brutal, brilliant opener. Serge Gnabry’s left-wing cross was well-weighted, allowing Lewandoski to thump one into the bottom-left corner. The defensive frailties that THEWILL reported on were noticeable.
With just four minutes into the second half, Bayern were coasting to victory through a Thomas Muller tap-in. The late Bayern superstar’s namesake was the third Bayern player, after Lewandoski and Neuer, to hold up a red shirt in a pre-match show of respect for the late Muller.
Although Dortmund pulled one back via a blistering Marco Reus strike, which briefly threatened Bayern’s control, Manuel Akanji’s dallying let Lewandowski in again and the Dortmund fans know exactly how that tends to go. The 32-year-old made it look routine when he scored for his brace.
It was Lewandowski’s seventh Supercup strike and extended his own record in a competition that was not played as at the time the late Muller was still actively playing football and which Lewandowski now has no immediate competition.
Of every footballer that has come and gone in the Bundesliga, only Lewandowski comes even close to challenge Muller’s achievements. The Pole already has 278 goals and cannot stop scoring. He has done enough to be officially recognised in Muller’s company.
Tuesday’s brace means Lewandowski has also now scored in 14 successive matches for Bayern, which means he needs to score in just two more consecutive games to match another of Muller’s all-time records which stands at 16 during the 1969/1970 conflict.
For the other player with the possible gifts and time to make a play for the third books, Tuesday was not so successful for Norwegian striker for Dortmund, Erling Haaland. It just was not his night and he could not find any goals to speak of. Yet, he has age on his side. At 21, Haaland has 42 goals in 44 Bundesliga games which comes down to an incredible average of one every 84.8 minutes.
But, Haaland, who has been linked with several juicy moves out of the Bundesliga, may need to remain and compete in Germany to have any chance at shooting for the record books. A move to Bayern may be how he becomes a challenger of the records now of both Muller and Lewandowski.
In the end, Bayern triumphed 3-1 and celebrated with their new coach and another trophy for their overflowing trophy cabinet while honouring the legend of Muller with the legend of Lewandowski.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
