Bayern Munich secured top spot in their Champions League group with a match to spare after four second-half goals from Robert Lewandowski inspired them to a 6-0 away mauling of Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday.
Lewandowski’s scoring barrage occurred in a timespan of 14 minutes and 31 seconds — the fastest-ever quadruple in the history of the Champions League.
“I have to confess….I am addicted to scoring goals,” Lewandowski wrote on Twitter after the game.
It’s the second time the Poland international has scored four goals in a Champions League match, following his quadruple for Dortmund against Real Madrid back in 2013. The striker, however, preferred to praise his Bayern teammates when pressed on his impressive record on Tuesday.
“It’s not that important. The team is always above everything and that we played convincingly,” he said. “We could have scored even more goals. We stepped on the gas in the second half and achieved everything we planned.
“I was also happy about my assist in Dusseldorf [over the weekend] and I am also delighted when we play well, win and I don’t score.”
The result left Bayern top of Group B on 15 points, five more than Tottenham Hotspur who joined them in the last 16 after fighting back from two goals down to beat Olympiakos 4-2 at home.
Bayern pinned Red Star back from the start and came close three times through Lewandowski and Kingsley Coman before Leon Goretzka fired them into a 14th-minute lead with a superb header.
The Germany midfielder rose above his markers to steer a perfect Philippe Coutinho cross from the left past goalkeeper Milan Borjan, who was left clutching nothing but air.
Lewandowski had a goal disallowed shortly before half-time after a quick VAR review ruled that Corentin Tolisso handled the ball when he teed up the Poland striker.
A vociferous band of around 2,000 visiting Bayern supporters lit some two dozen flares early in the second half, seemingly igniting Lewandowski’s onslaught against a hapless Red Star who were nonetheless roared on by their own faithful.
The Pole converted a 53rd-minute penalty after Milos Degenek handled in the box and made it 3-0 on the hour from a fine assist by Tolisso.
He headed in the fourth soon afterwards from a Benjamin Pavard cross and stunned Red Star again in the 68th minute. Tolisso completed the rout in the dying minutes with a simple finish.
Interim Bayern head coach Hansi flick
Coach Hansi Flick said: “He is just professional. He puts in extra shifts. And he’s now reached a form at the highest level.”