Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge believes Robert Lewandowski can threaten the 48-year-old Bundesliga record of 40 goals in a season after the striker netted twice in Saturday's thrashing of Borussia Dortmund.
Managerless Bayern ran riot at the Allianz Arena as Lewandowski netted a first-half header and a 76th-minute tap-in to leave him on 16 goals from just 11 league games this term.
Rummenigge thinks Lewandowski, 31, can break Gerd Mueller's record of 40 league goals for Bayern in the 1971/72 campaign.
READ | Der Klassiker: Lewandowski hits brace in Bayern's 4-0 thrashing of Dortmund
“I thought Gerd's record would last for eternity and never be broken, but I believe he (Lewandowski) is the first who can really put it in danger,” Rummenigge, a former striker, told reporters in Munich.
“It is astounding that 'Lewy' keeps scoring one or two goals in every game.”
The Poland striker has now scored in all of Bayern's Champions League and Bundesliga games this season, but needs surgery for a groin injury.
“It is his decision when to have the operation,” said Bayern interim coach Hansi Flick, who has two wins since stepping in after Niko Kovac was sacked last Sunday.
“He isn't in any pain, but it is clear he needs surgery.
“I believe he is having such a run that, in his shoes, I would also have a good think about when to have it done.
“For me, he is the best striker in the world and it is crazy the way he performs for us. He is an absolute role model.”
'Team worked sensationally'
Since last Saturday's 5-1 thrashing at Eintracht Frankfurt which cost Kovac his job, Flick has led Bayern to a 2-0 victory over Olympiakos to reach the last 16 of the Champions League, plus Saturday's 4-0 rout.
Lewandowski's double, plus a Serge Gnabry strike and an own goal by Dortmund captain Mats Hummels, completed the thumping.
“I had a task with these two games and the whole team worked sensationally around them, even if it wasn't that easy, because you can't bring much content to training in such a short time,” said Flick.
Bayern appears to have trouble finding a replacement for Kovac after Arsene Wenger on Saturday contradicted the club's claims it turned him down as Kovac's successor.
READ | Flick to keep Bayern Munich job 'until further notice'
Ajax coach Erik ten Hag and Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel have stated they will not join Bayern this season.
Nevertheless, Bayern's bosses are pleased with Flick, who will be in charge for their next game at Fortuna Duesseldorf on November 23 -- and possibly longer.
“We will keep working calmly with him,” said Rummenigge, while club president Uli Hoeness, who steps down next Friday, implied his deal could be extended.
“I can't imagine Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was only talking about one more week.”
Bayern forward Thomas Mueller, who was often named among the replacements under Kovac, but has started the last two games, praised the performance.
“It was a brilliant game today,” said Mueller, who has made 500 appearances for Bayern.
“The match in Frankfurt can't really be taken as a comparison because we got a red card (by Jerome Boateng) early on.
“The players were challenged by the change of coach, because all the alibis were gone.”
Dortmund, which is fifth and a point behind Bayern, was poor, creating just two shots at goal compared to Bayern's 18.
“As a team, we were clearly the weakest out there,” said Dortmund captain Hummels.
“We weren't brave enough with the ball and simply not good enough.”
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