Robert Lewandowski’s hunt for Gerd Müller’s age-old record is electrifying the Bundesliga. The Pole only needs one goal to break the 40-goal mark set by Der Bomber in the 1971/72 season. In an interview with the FCB club magazine “51”, Bayern legends explain what makes Lewandowski so special – and why he can make history this season. In part three, it’s the turn of Giovane Élber. The Brazilian scored 133 goals in 260 Bundesliga appearances in total, and won the Champions League with Bayern in 2001. He sees Lewandowski as on a par with Gerd Müller.
Part 3: Giovane Élber on typical Lewandowski goals
Giovane Élber’s most successful Bundesliga season in terms of goals was 2002/03, when he netted 21 times for Bayern.
“Once when I went a few games without scoring, Gerd Müller took me to one side and said: ‘Don’t worry, Giovane. You’ve got this. You’ll get your goals soon!’ Wow, that did me good! Gerd is also very famous here in Brazil. Soon after that, the breakthrough came. It’s incredible that Robert Lewandowski is now poised to reach Gerd’s record.”
Lewandowski the full package
“His 35-metre shot in the DFB Cup final last year reminded me of my goal against Real Madrid in the 2001 semi-final,” recalls Élber. “Or when I think back to his five goals against Wolfsburg, how he scored the scissor kick in the air, that was awesome. In my view, there isn’t really a typical Lewandowski goal – because he can do it all! Lewy gets in the right positions to link up play, he scores inside and outside the penalty area, he’s two-footed and strong in the air. Someone who’s so well-rounded is hard to defend against.
“With everything he’s done for Bayern for years, he’s one of the greats in the club’s history. Gerd Müller will always be Gerd Müller, no question. But Lewy is also writing a very nice, great story.”
In part 2 of the series, Paul Breitner explained Lewandowski’s hunger for goals:
