Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski delivered a stunning performance with a brace in a commanding 3-0 victory over Brest on Tuesday, becoming only the third player in Champions League history to score 100 goals, joining Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the exclusive club.
The win lifted Barca to second in the 36-team standings with 12 points from five matches, one point behind leaders Inter Milan and tied with third-placed Liverpool, who host Real Madrid on Wednesday.
Brest fell to ninth with 10 points.
Lewandowski reached the milestone in the 10th minute, converting a penalty after being fouled by goalkeeper Marco Bizot, setting the tone for the Catalans’ dominant display.
After consecutive La Liga matches without a win and still missing injured teenage winger Lamine Yamal, Barca bounced back with authority, creating 19 scoring chances against a Brest side that failed to register a shot on target.
However, the hosts squandered several opportunities to extend their lead and were nearly punished on a few counterattacks.
Dani Olmo doubled the advantage with a brilliant solo goal, dribbling past two defenders before firing home. Lewandowski sealed the win with Alejandro Balde’s assistance in added time with a clinical finish.
“I’m very happy, very happy. One hundred and one goals in the Champions League is a great number,” Lewandowski told Movistar Plus.
“I didn’t think I could score so many goals in the Champions League. To join Messi and Ronaldo … I guess they’re good, right?”
Patience needed
Despite recent struggles in La Liga, Barca remain atop the table, four points clear of second-placed Real Madrid, who have a game in hand.
“We haven’t been playing well in La Liga lately, but there are a lot of games left,” Lewandowski said. “We just have to be patient. We’ll score more goals in the end.
“We’re looking to win every game. If I can score to help the team, all the better. We have to win every match until the end of the season.”
At 36, Lewandowski has been in stellar form this season, scoring 22 goals in 19 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona. He leads the Champions League scoring charts with seven goals in five games and tops La Liga with 15 goals and two assists in 14 matches.
Lewandowski’s first Champions League goal came in October 2011 for Borussia Dortmund in a 3-1 win over Olympiakos. The Polish striker scored 17 goals in 28 Champions League matches for Dortmund before joining Bayern Munich, where he netted 69 goals in 78 games over eight seasons. Since joining Barcelona two years ago, he has continued his prolific run.
Still, Lewandowski faces a significant challenge to surpass Messi’s 129 Champions League goals, with Ronaldo holding the record at 140.
Fourth on the all-time list is Karim Benzema, with 90 goals. The closest active player in the Champions League is Lewandowski’s former Bayern teammate, Thomas Müller, with 54.
Barcelona now face a packed schedule, including three La Liga matches – at home against Las Palmas and away at Mallorca and Real Betis – before traveling to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Dec. 11.