The Bayern Munich striker bagged a hat-trick in last
weekend's 4-2 win over Dortmund in Germany's 'Klassiker' to leave him on 31
league goals this campaign.
The result keeps the champions two points clear at the top
of the Bundesliga.
With 10 league games left, Lewandowski is nine goals short
of Mueller's stunning record set in 1971/72, which many assumed would never be
bettered.
At Werder Bremen on Saturday, Lewandowski needs just one
more to equal Klaus Fischer's tally of 268 Bundesliga goals.
Only Bayern legend Mueller scored more in Germany's
top-flight with 365 in 427 league games.
Fischer, who played for 1860 Munich, Schalke, Cologne, and
Bochum between 1968 and 1988, backs Lewandowski to better Mueller's record.
"He (Lewandowski) has a huge chance," Fischer told
magazine Kicker.
"He needs nine goals in the last 10 games.
"The way the season has gone until now, you'd have to
assume it's realistic."
Bayern have banged in 13 goals in their last three games
since last month's shock defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt.
During his career, Lewandowski has scored 20 goals in as
many games against Bremen - his highest tally against a Bundesliga club.
Bayern centre-back Jerome Boateng could return from a knee
injury, but David Alaba is suffering from a leg knock.
Mid-table Bremen are unbeaten in three games, but their last
win over Bayern was nearly 13 years ago.
Former Bayern defender Marco Friedl misses facing his
ex-club after picking up a fifth yellow card this season in Bremen's 2-0 win at
Bielefeld on Wednesday.
Striker Niclas Fullkrug has an Achilles tendon injury, but
US forward Joshua Sargent has scored in each of his last three games.
On Sunday, second-placed RB Leipzig face a tough test at
home to Eintracht Frankfurt, who earned a shock 2-1 win over Bayern last month.
After being knocked out of the Champions League in the last
16 by Liverpool on Wednesday, Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann wants his side to
work out their "anger or disappointment" before tackling Eintracht.
Under their Japanese captain Makoto Hasebe, Frankfurt are up
to fourth after winning six of their last nine league games.
Frankfurt striker Andre Silva has banged in 19 league goals,
while Leipzig are without their goal-scoring left-back Angelino who is
sidelined by injury.
One to watch: Erling Braut Haaland
Hertha Berlin are the next club who will try to stop
Dortmund striker Erling Braut Haaland on Saturday.
He netted twice in Tuesday's 2-2 draw with Sevilla to leave
him with a record 20 goals in his first 14 Champions League games.
Haaland scored four goals in just 33 minutes last November
when Dortmund romped to a 5-2 win over Hertha in Berlin.
"He is already a phenomenon," Hertha sports
director Arne Friedrich said Thursday.
The former Germany defender admits it will be a "big
challenge" for Hertha to contain Haaland, who Friedrich describes as
"the perfect striker" with his "size, speed and super
finish".
Haaland has scored 19 league goals this season, including
two inside the first nine minutes of last weekend's defeat to Bayern.
Dortmund will be without England winger Jadon Sancho and
Swiss defender Manuel Akanji who both have leg injuries.
Key stats
47 - the goals Haaland has scored in as many games for
Dortmund in all competitions since January 2020.
37 - the goals Lewandowski has scored in 33 games for Bayern
this season in all competitions.
28 - the games between the clubs since Bremen last beat
Bayern when Mesut Ozil and Claudio Pizarro scored in a 5-2 win in September
2008 in Munich.
Fixtures (all times 1430GMT unless stated)
Friday
Augsburg v Borussia Moenchengladbach (1930)
Saturday
VfL Wolfsburg v Schalke 04, Union Berlin v Cologne, Mainz v
Freiburg, Werder Bremen v Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund v Hertha Berlin
(1730)
Sunday
Bayer Leverkusen v Arminia Bielefeld (1230), RB Leipzig v
Eintracht Frankfurt, VfB Stuttgart v Hoffenheim (1700)
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