Kane targets Lewandowski’s record: Monitoring key goal and assist statistics across Europe
Goal and assist records are always a topic of interest. TV commentators typically highlight these achievements as soon as a goal is scored. Some records are indeed unbreakable — thanks to Lionel Messi — while others are definitely achievable and could be surpassed this season.
Here is the current status of the scoring titles in Europe’s top five leagues.
Jump to:
Premier League | Bundesliga | LaLiga
Serie A | Ligue 1 | UEFA Champions League
Premier League
Single-season goal record: 36 goals, Erling Haaland (2022-23)
This season’s top scorer: 22 goals, Haaland
Will it be broken? Unlikely
Single-season assist record: 20 assists, Thierry Henry (2002-03), Kevin De Bruyne (2019-20)
This season’s assist leader: 13 assists, Bruno Fernandes
Will it be broken? Possibly
Earlier in the season, Haaland appeared poised to surpass his own single-season league record. The Manchester City forward scored in nine of his first 11 Premier League matches, accumulating 14 goals during that span. However, he experienced an unusual goal drought at the start of this calendar year, finding the net only once in a seven-match stretch from Dec. 27 to Feb. 1. Consequently, it is highly unlikely he will break the goal record this season.
The assist record is one to watch this year. Manchester United’s captain Fernandes struggled to find his role in midfield under Ruben Amorim, but his increased contributions since the manager’s departure have positioned him as a contender to reach the benchmark established by Premier League icons Henry and De Bruyne.
Fernandes recorded five assists in his first four league matches following Amorim’s exit. However, he must maintain this level of performance to make his mark in Premier League history over the next 11 games.
Bundesliga
Single-season goal record: 41 goals, Robert Lewandowski (2020-21)
This season’s top scorer: 30 goals, Harry Kane
Will it be broken? Possibly
Single-season assist record: 21 assists, Thomas Müller (2019-20)
This season’s assist leader: 16 assists, Michael Olise
Will it be broken? Likely
Bayern Munich has been in exceptional form under manager Vincent Kompany this season. The Bavarian club secured the Bundesliga title in Kompany’s first season, but it is in his second season that they have truly found their rhythm.
Bayern legend Gerd Müller’s record of 40 league goals in a season stood for 49 years until Lewandowski famously surpassed it in 2021. Kane is on track to break Lewandowski’s record, aided by a strong start that saw him net 10 goals in his first five league matches this season.
Kane must sustain his scoring pace for the remainder of the season. However, it is unlikely that this will diminish Lewandowski’s achievement, as the Polish striker scored his 41 goals in just 29 matches.
Should Kane break the single-season goal record, he will attract significant attention, but the assist record is also within reach, as Michael Olise is close to surpassing Müller’s record from 2021.
LaLiga
Single-season goal record: 50 goals, Lionel Messi (2011-12)
This season’s top scorer: 23 goals, Kylian Mbappé
Will it be broken? No
Single-season assist record: 20 assists, Messi (2019-20)
This season’s assist leader: 10 assists, Lamine Yamal
Will it be broken? Unlikely
There are no hard feelings regarding this: Lionel Messi’s single-season goal record may remain unbroken. Mbappé is undoubtedly among the leading scorers in Europe’s top leagues, yet he is far from Messi’s record. It is well-known that either Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo holds the top seven single-season goal records. It would require an extraordinary season for anyone to even consider breaking it.
Messi’s record of 20 assists in a single LaLiga season seems more attainable — both Henry and De Bruyne achieved that in a 38-game Premier League season. Yamal is the closest modern player resembling a successor to Messi, but it is improbable he will break this record this season.
Serie A
Single-season goal record: 36 goals, Gonzalo Higuaín (2015-16), Ciro Immobile (2019-20)
This season’s top scorer: 14 goals, Lautaro Martínez
Will it be broken? No
Single-season assist record: 16 assists, Alejandro “Papu” Gómez (2019-20)
This season’s assist leader: 15 assists, Federico Dimarco
Will it be broken? Yes
Disregard Serie A’s single-season goal record. The figures set by Higuaín and Immobile were never in jeopardy this season. However, it is anticipated that Dimarco will surpass Gómez’s total of 16 assists from 2019-20. This figure is relatively easy to achieve compared to those in other major European leagues — raising questions about its low standard — but Inter Milan’s left-back Dimarco is well-positioned to break that record this season, thanks to an impressive recent increase in assists.
Dimarco recorded eight assists in just five matches over a one-month period from Jan. 23 to Feb. 21. If he maintains this pace, the record is virtually his.
Ligue 1
Single-season goal record: 38 goals, Zlatan Ibrahimovic (2015-16)
This season’s top scorer: 14 goals, Mason Greenwood, Joaquín Panichelli
Will it be broken? No
Single-season assist record: 18 assists, Ángel Di María (2015-16)
This season’s assist leader: 8 assists, Ludovic Ajorque
Will it be broken? Unlikely
Greenwood shared last season’s Ligue 1 top scorer title with Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembélé, and he is leading another closely contested scoring race this season. His 14 goals place him level with Strasbourg’s Panichelli. Ibrahimovic can be assured that his single-season record will remain intact this time.
Di María can also rest easy knowing his single-season assist record will likely stand. Brest’s Ludovic Ajorque is the closest competitor, but it would require an extraordinary effort in the remaining matches to challenge it.
UEFA Champions League
Single-season goal record: 17 goals, Cristiano Ronaldo (2013-14)
This season’s top scorer: 13 goals, Kylian Mbappé
Will it be broken? Possibly
Single-season assist record: 9 assists, James Milner (2017-18)
This season’s assist leader: 4 assists, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arda Güler, Michael Olise, Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Valverde, Vinícius Júnior
Will it be broken? Unlikely
Real Madrid is synonymous with Champions League success, making it an ideal opportunity for Mbappé to leave his mark at the club by breaking Ronaldo’s long-standing record. In reality, this total has been under threat ever since UEFA adopted its new expanded Swiss model, which allows every team to play at least two additional matches. Nevertheless, Ronaldo achieved his record in 11 games during the Champions League, scoring against Atlético Madrid in the 2013-14 final.
Mbappé has participated in only eight matches in the competition this season — he was an unused substitute against Manchester City in December due to fitness issues and missed the playoff second leg against Benfica because of a knee injury. He still requires four goals to equal Ronaldo’s record. Will he accomplish this against City in the round of 16?
The assist record appears unlikely to be surpassed. Milner’s achievement of the most Champions League assists in a single season is a fitting trivia question. There is currently a six-way tie for this season’s assist leaderboard, although Aubameyang is no longer in the competition.
