Chelsea’s worst-ever European defeat? Records broken by Bayern Munich in the Champions League so far

After six months of waiting, Bayern Munich finally confirmed their spot in the Champions League quarter finals with a 4-1 win over Chelsea on Saturday. Attention is already shifting to the team’s upcoming clash against Barcelona on Friday, but there’s still plenty that needs to be said.

Let’s start with the headline news — the Bavarians just handed Chelsea their worst-ever aggregate defeat in a European tie. No word on what their previous aggregate defeat was, but the Blues can finally join an exclusive club, consisting of teams that have conceded 7 goals or more against Bayern. This includes Barcelona, AS Roma, Skakhtar Donetsk, as well fellow London clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.

Speaking of London clubs, you get the feeling that Bayern Munich REALLY hates London. Perhaps the reason why West Ham, Crystal palace, and Fulham never make the Champions League is because they know what happens when you’re a club from London and you get drawn against Bayern. Observe:

Bayern have also won every single Champions League game so far this season, becoming the second-ever team to do so. They have the most goals scored in this season’s edition of the UCL, with 31 in total — 11 more than the next closest team, Paris Saint-German. It’s been an incredible campaign so far, and the boys will want to keep the winning run going. The hardest stretch hasn’t even begun yet.

Hansi Flick, meanwhile, achieved a personal milestone, becoming the only the third coach in history to win his first five matches in the UCL. This is made even more impressive if you remember what the mood was like when he took over — Niko Kovac had left the team in a shambles, and people were ready to write Bayern off. The fact that Flick hasn’t missed a beat despite these setbacks, as well as uniquely challenging circumstances (the Covid break) is an incredible achievement.

Lewandowski’s records

Robert Lewandowski is a monster. The Polish striker has been unstoppable in both the league and UCL this season, with his two goals and two assists against Chelsea adding to an already-impressive tally of 11 goals and 2 assists. He is the competition’s top scorer, with Erling Haaland left in the dust and no hope of catching up (because Borussia Dortmund were eliminated).

Lewandowski also went past Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema’s UCL tally, becoming the competition’s fourth-highest scorer. The crazy thing is, he did it in 33 fewer games. Lewy is now within striking distance of Raul. Just five more goals would make him the tournament’s third highest scorer and highest human scorer, only behind the freaks of nature known as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Of course, none of this matters, as Lewy could never do it on a cold rainy night in ... hey wait, what’s this?

Lewy’s all-round talent deserves more mention, as he’s the first player to register 3+ goals AND assists in a European tie since Luis Figo 2004/05.

Words and numbers barely do any justice to the incredible form he has shown this season. At almost 32 years of age, the Polish hitman is aging like fine wine. He’s found the net in over 80% of his games this season, including every single Champions League game he’s played.

Finally ...

To close out a Lewandowski-dominated article, let’s take a look at the other man who recorded a significant personal achievement last night. Thomas Muller equaled former Bayern captain Philipp Lahm as the German player with the most appearances in the Champions League. Provided that he starts against Barcelona on Friday, he seems set to make the record all his own soon.

That’s all from me! If you have any interesting numbers or stats that you want to share, comment below!