"It's not impossible" - Pundit claims Barcelona superstar could break Lionel Messi's UCL goal tally

TNT Sports pundit Rory Smith has backed Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski to overtake Lionel Messi on the UEFA Champions League all-time goalscorers list. The Polish striker is third on the list of players with the most goals in the prestigious European competition.

Lewandowski recently took his Champions League tally to 99 goals. The 36-year-old scored a brace in Barcelona’s 5-2 thumping of Crvena Zvezda on Wednesday, October 6. His brace put him at 30 goals shy of Messi’s tally. The legendary Argentine is second on the Champions League all-time scorers list with 129 goals. Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, is top of the chart with 140 goals.

It is expected that Lewandowski would become the third-ever player to hit the 100-goal mark in the European competition. However, Rory Smith claims the Pole can also catch up with Messi. He believes Lewandowski’s longevity and the increased number of games in the new Champions League format make it possible for him to overtake the Inter Miami star.

Smith said (via EuroSport):

"It's not impossible that he catches Messi. 30 more goals. Two more years. 15 a season. He's quite old, but he famously eats his pudding before his main course. He'll be going!”

"But also, he's going to have eight games per season to do it in, at least. So it's not impossible,” Smith added.

Lionel Messi’s 129 Champions League goals came in 163 games. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner netted 120 times in 149 games for Barcelona and nine times in 14 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

Robert Lewandowski, on the other hand, scored 17 times in 28 outings for Borussia Dortmund. He then recorded 69 goals in 78 games for Bayern Munich. He has also found the net 13 times in 18 Champions League games for Barcelona.

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How have Barcelona fared in the Champions League this season?

La Blaugrana has been one of the most impressive teams in the UEFA Champions League this term. They have recorded three wins from four games and are sixth in the league phase standings.

Hansi Flick’s side began their European campaign on a poor note losing 2-1 away to AS Monaco. However, since then they have been high-flying, recording three wins on the bounce, scoring 14 goals, and conceding just three.

They defeated Swiss club Young Boys 5-0 and overcame their toughest opponents so far Bayern Munich 4-1. Barcelona then saw off Serbian outfit Crvena Zvezda 5-2 in their most recent outing in the Champions League.

They will next face Ligue 1 side Brest in the competition on Tuesday, November 26. The five-time European champions will also play Borussia Dortmund, Benfica, and Atalanta in their remaining league phase fixtures.