Bayern Munich secures Bundesliga title for eight consecutive years

Robert Lewandowski, who is currently on a scoring spree, has led Bayern Munich to its eighth Bundesliga title, taking one step closer to “the Ballon d’Or,” an award given to the world’s best footballer.

In the 42nd minute of the first half of the away game at Weser Stadium in Bremen, the 32nd round of the 2019~2020 season, Lewandowski took a ball passed by defender Jerome Boateng on his chest and volleyed it into the net. Recording a 1-0 win, Bayern Munich nailed down the eighth consecutive Bundesliga title with 76 points (24 wins, four draws and four losses), which puts them 10 points clear of Borussia Dortmund (66 points, 20 wins, six draws and five losses) that have three games left.

Due to his remarkable performance, Lewandowski has also been cited by Goal, a football news website, as a front runner to win “the Ballon d’Or” this year, replacing Lionel Messi of Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus. The award has been effectively preserved for Messi and Ronaldo who won the award six and five times, respectively. Lewandowski would be the first Polish football player who wins the award. In an interview after the win, Lewandowski expressed his wish to play well in the UEFA Champions League now that his team has become a champion in Germany.


Won-Hong Lee bluesky@donga.com