Robert Lewandowski becomes third-quickest player to reach 50 Champions League goals

With his two goals in Bayern Munich’s comprehensive 5-1 win over SL Benfica, Robert Lewandowski has become the third-quickest player in history to reach the 50 goal mark in the Champions League. It’s taken him 77 matches in the competition to reach 50 goals and his brace tonight could not have come at a better time for a fluttering Bayern side.

The moment he made it happen:

The only two players that have achieved that mark more quickly are Juventus’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. Needless to say, Lewandowski is now among elite company in Europe’s most prestigious club competition and has found himself in a good run of form despite Bayern’s inconsistencies this season under Niko Kovac.

Additionally, only three other players besides Ronaldo and Messi have scored more Champions League goals than Lewandowski; Raul (Raúl González Blanco), Karim Benzema, and Ruud van Nistelrooy. Lewandowski equalled Thiery Henry’s tally of 50 with his first goal against Benfica, but his second saw him surpass the French legend (51).

The brace from the Polish international also rounds out a solid run of individual form that’s seen him heavily involved in the majority of Bayern’s goals this season:

For a player whose work rate comes under scrutiny from time to time, he’s certainly got the productive numbers to prove that there’s no shortage of commitment to the cause for his club. 17 goals and 4 assists from a total of 18 appearances across competitions so far this season is nothing if not impressive.