Lewandowski reached 300-goal milestone in Bundesliga

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski has become the second man to score 300 Bundesliga goals as he chases another scoring record from late club legend Gerd Müller.

The votes have long been cast but Robert Lewandowski's latest Bundesliga milestone is still a subtle reminder that he deserves the World Player of the Year award on Monday.

The Polish marksman scored a hat-trick in Bayern Munich's 4-0 victory in Cologne to become only the second player to score 300 goals in the German top flight.

Lewandowski needed 369 games for Bayern and Borussia Dortmund to reach the mark while the late Bayern icon Gerd Müller achieved it in 350 games.

Müller is the all-time record scorer with 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games between 1965 and 1979. But Lewandowski is closing in and despite still being 65 goals off could also challenge that mark from Müller.

"The numbers are already insane. I never thought I would score so many goals in the Bundesliga. With a bit of hindsight, maybe I can think about it a little longer and just be proud," Lewandowski said on Saturday.

The 33-year-old joined the Bundesliga in 2010 at Dortmund and moved on to Munich in 2014. He has a contract until 2023 at Bayern.

Lewandowski bettered Müller's single season and calendar year records to 41 and 43 goals, respectively, last year, and is again on 23 goals from 19 games this season.

Some eyebrows were raised when Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi won the Ballon d'Or last month and both are again on the shortlist for Monday's award from football's governing body FIFA.

Lewandowski won the award last year and especially in Munich and his native Poland they will be rooting for him, saying his goals all year are worth more than Messi's first international title at the Copa America.

"For every footballer it's important when you win awards and titles both as a team and on a personal level. I would be very happy if he won, it would be well-deserved," Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann said on Saturday.

Lewandowski also boasts 82 goals in the Champions League, 39 in the German Cup and 74 for Poland, according to Kicker magazine.

He has helped Bayern to a record 66 straight league games in which they have found the net, and with 61 goals in 19 games Bayern could better their own season record of 101 goals from 1971-72.

The Polish marksman is also on course to draw level with Müller on seven Bundesliga top scorer seasons, the first with Dortmund in 2013-14 and then five in the past six seasons for Munich.

"We're happy and grateful that he plays for us. He is a machine in the box, he holds the ball up superbly and the way he finishes is special," captain Manuel Neuer said.