Robert Lewandowski has become the third player in history to score 100 goals in the UEFA Champions League, joining the ranks of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The Polish striker reached the milestone with a penalty kick in Barcelona's 3-0 win over Brest, a team that had been unbeaten until then. Lewandowski added another goal in stoppage time, taking his tally to 101.
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the top spot with 140 goals, while Lionel Messi follows with 129. However, neither player competes in the Champions League anymore after moves to the Saudi Pro League and MLS, respectively.
"I am very happy; it's a lovely number to bring up. Years ago, I did not think I could score more than 100 goals in the Champions League. To join Messi and Ronaldo... I guess they are good, right?" Lewandowski said in an interview with Movistar. He also emphasized that winning every game is his main focus, and if he can score, it’s the perfect outcome.
Lewandowski, who is 36, reached the 100-goal mark in 125 appearances, which is two more matches than Messi's 123 and 12 fewer than Ronaldo's 137.
Barcelona's head coach, Hansi Flick, who also worked with Lewandowski at Bayern Munich, praised the striker's achievement. "I know him also two years from Munich; there he also broke every record you can break. Now he's also scoring. It's important for us. But the whole team is supporting him. The other players will help him score the goals," Flick said.
The match also saw a second-half goal from Dani Olmo, as Barcelona bounced back from two recent winless games in La Liga. Flick was pleased with the performance, saying, "I am really happy that we won today and got three points, but also that we dominated the match and the opponent, defended well and attacked well."
Despite some challenges in the match, Flick added, "I will not say everything was perfect, but it was a really good step after the draw against Celta Vigo. I miss a little bit the hunger to score more goals, but at the end, three points is perfect."
Barcelona's victory over Brest pushed them to second place in the standings. Flick stressed the importance of securing a top-eight finish to advance to the round of 16 in March, avoiding knockout playoffs. "We know there are some appointments coming. We have to play against Dortmund next, and it will be tough, but I think we are ready for that," he said.
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