Records continue to tumble for Bayern
And on, and on: The records continue to pile up for Pep Guardiola's FC Bayern München, with no apparent end in sight. Since the Catalan master tactician took charge in the summer of 2013, Bayern have sent one best-mark after another tumbling. 37 points from the opening 13 matchdays is unparalleled, earning them one more fresh page in the Bundesliga annals.
On Tuesday, it was the turn of the UEFA Champions League to take centre stage. A 4-0 thumping of Olympiacos FC made it nine home wins on the trot for Bayern in Europe's elite club tournament. Thomas Müller chipped in with the third goal as the hosts made short work of the Greek champs but the result itself earned the Bayern fans' favourite a place of his own in the record books – this time with UEFA.
At 26 years and 72 days old, Müller became the youngest player ever to rack up 50 wins in the Champions League, usurping Real Madrid legend Raul (26 years and 257 days). Lionel Messi is third on the list, at 27 years and 134 days, with his fellow latter-day colossus Cristiano Ronaldo back in fifth (28 years and 28 days). Bastian Schweinsteiger was the previous German record-holder, hitting the 50-win mark at the ripe old age of 29 years, three months and four days.
Schweinsteiger it was, incidentally, whom a 19-year-old Müller replaced in March 2009, to get his first-ever taste of Champions League action. He started as he meant to go on, setting up a goal within two minutes of coming off the bench and scoring one himself at the last, to round out a 7-1 win against Sporting Lisbon.
Müller is one of a staggering 11 Bayern players to have been nominated for the FIFA FIFPro World XI 2015. The result will be announced at the FIFA Ballon d’Or Award ceremony at Zurich’s Kongresshaus on 11 January 2016.
