Pep Guardiola may never leave Robert Lewandowski on the bench again. The Polish striker did not start the game for Bayern Munich against Bundesliga title race rivals Wolfsburg and the 27-year-old hitman delivered a performance to remember for the ages as Bayern won 5-1 to move to the top of the table.
With Bayern down 1-0 thanks to a Daniel Caligiuri goal, Lewandowski was brought on as a half-time substitute. He needed less than six minutes to level the score, scoring with an outstretched leg near the six-yard box after latching on to a loose ball.
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The goals kept coming. A minute later, he received the ball near the edge of the final third, turned and took a low, long-range shot that beat the goalkeeper and ended in the bottom corner. 2-0!
Lewandowski then completed his hat-trick on a Bayern counter. Philipp Lahm crossed it in the box to find Lewandowski, whose first shot hit the post and came back to him. He took another shot that was blocked by the goalkeeper before his third attempt found the back of the net. A hat-trick in 3 minutes and 22 seconds!
He made it 4-1 when the pace of Douglas Costa on the left saw the Brazilian cross the ball for Lewandowski to fire in a shot from near the penalty spot. The shot was so fast that although it was placed right above goalkeeper Diego Benaglio’s head, he had no time to react to make a save.
The last goal was the best of the lot when he volleyed a cross from the right flank with a bicycle kick. He was just inside the box, which made the goal even more remarkable. Benaglio could only stand rooted to the spot and watch the ball sail into the net, even knocking a camera in the back of the net to the ground.
Nine minutes – five goals – one memorable night!
More: Records and milestones set by Robert Lewandowski after scoring five goals in nine minutes
Scoring five goals was incredible: Lewandowski
“I am very satisfied, that was incredible,” Lewandowski said, according to Euro Sport. “I just wanted to shoot, I didn't really think what will happen afterwards. Having been one down, we knew that we must improve and score twice at least.
“But five goals, that's incredible. I don't know how fast it was, but it was fast. But when you're on the pitch, you're just focused on football. After the fourth I looked at the scoreboard, it was the 60th minute and I only thought: 'Ooh'.
“Guardiola didn't need to say anything, I know what I have to do on the pitch. But it was only one game, we have to win the next games as well. We are Bayern Munich.”
Never witnessed something like this before: Guardiola
Bayern manager Pep Guardiola was in shock, evident from his reactions on the touchline as well.
“I don't understand this, five goals! I have never in my life witnessed something like this whether as a player or a coach,” he said.
“Five goals against Wolfsburg is not easy. I am very, very happy for Robert. For his self-esteem and our future this is very important. I can not explain this.”
