{"id":544161,"date":"2020-02-21T18:55:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-21T23:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonfootball.com\/?p=544161"},"modified":"2020-02-21T18:55:00","modified_gmt":"2020-02-21T23:55:00","slug":"the-coming-golden-age-of-bundesliga-strikers-erling-haaland-robert-lewandowski-and-timo-werner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2020\/02\/21\/the-coming-golden-age-of-bundesliga-strikers-erling-haaland-robert-lewandowski-and-timo-werner\/","title":{"rendered":"The Coming Golden Age of Bundesliga Strikers: Erling Haaland, Robert Lewandowski and Timo Werner"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Robert Lewandowski, Timo Werner, and Erling Haaland are scoring at will in the Bundesliga. If all remain at the club, next season could see a golden boot and title race for the ages.<\/p>\n<h2>The Coming Golden Age of Bundesliga Strikers: Erling Haaland, Robert Lewandowski and Timo Werner<\/h2>\n<h3>Lewandowski, Werner and Haaland<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With just 22 matches played in the 2019-20 Bundesliga campaign, Bayern\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transfermarkt.co.uk\/robert-lewandowski\/profil\/spieler\/38253\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Robert Lewandowski<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has scored 23 goals while RB Leipzig\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transfermarkt.co.uk\/timo-werner\/profil\/spieler\/170527\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Timo Werner<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a close second with 20. Bayern and Leipzig are separated by just one point at the top of the table. Much of this is down to their two talismanic players. The January transfer of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transfermarkt.co.uk\/erling-haaland\/profil\/spieler\/418560\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Erling Haaland<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to Borussia Dortmund has made the striker battle in Germany even more interesting, and could very well influence the title race.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dortmund are just four points behind league leaders Bayern. Haaland has scored an astounding eleven goals in his first seven matches for the black and yellows. Not many leagues across Europe have three world-class strikers at the top of their game. All three players have their own strengths and style of play. Erling Haaland is by far the biggest, both in terms of height and weight. Werner is the smallest, but the quickest, while Lewandowski, the most technically proficient, is the perfect physical blend of the two. If Lewandowski, Werner and Haaland stay put for next season, the Bundesliga could see a golden boot race for the ages defined by these three number nines.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Robert Lewandowski: The Veteran<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When discussing Lewandowski, Werner and Haaland, the Pole is clearly the most experienced and highest regarded striker of the pack. He is viewed as not only the best number nine in Germany but maybe in all of world football. This is for good reason. Beginning in the 2015-16 season, Lewandowski has scored more than 30 goals in all competitions every campaign. The Pole\u2019s highest tally came in 2016-17, where he netted 43 in all competitions. That campaign was preceded by 42 goals and then followed up by 41 goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This season, Lewandowski is on route to beat his best goal tally, as he has already netted 36. The Pole\u2019s strength and technical ability make him one of the most entertaining centre forwards to watch. Germany\u2019s record champions have Lewandowski <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bundesliga.com\/en\/bundesliga\/news\/robert-lewandowski-signs-bayern-munich-contract-extension-2023-6631\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">under contract until 2023<\/a>, making it very unlikely that he will not be playing in the Bundesliga next season.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Time Werner: Germany\u2019s Hope for the Future<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since his move to RB Leipzig from VfB Stuttgart in 2016, Timo Werner has been prolific in front of goal. In 146 appearances for Germany\u2019s most controversial club, Werner has found the back of the net 87 times. He already has 26 goals in all competitions this season, his best ever tally and we are only in February. Werner should reach 35 goals in this campaign. Most recently, he shined in north London midweek as his lone goal from the penalty spot beat Spurs in the Champions League round of 16. Werner\u2019s pace makes him deadly on the break and a nightmare for any defender.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just like Lewandowski, Werner is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bavarianfootballworks.com\/2019\/8\/25\/20831998\/timo-werner-contract-extension-rb-leipzig-2023-kicker-bayern-munich-julian-nagelsmann-mintzlaff\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">under contract<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with RB Leipzig until 2023, but his release clause is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bavarianfootballworks.com\/2019\/8\/25\/20831998\/timo-werner-contract-extension-rb-leipzig-2023-kicker-bayern-munich-julian-nagelsmann-mintzlaff\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reportedly<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a mere \u20ac30 million. Europe\u2019s top clubs have <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonfootball.com\/2019\/12\/04\/transfer-rumours-timo-werner-lautaro-martinez-rhian-brewster\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">all been interested<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with the likes of Atl\u00e9tico Madrid, Liverpool, and Manchester United all courting the German talisman\u2019s services. As all Bundesliga fans know, Bayern have also been on the prowl, but Werner has rejected such a move as he would play second fiddle to Lewandowski. Barring a dramatic scene of events, the German will be in Leipzig next season.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Erling Haaland: The Golden Boy<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hype around Haaland was loud enough during his time at RB Salzburg, but ever since his move to Dortmund, the talk surrounding the Norwegian has become more and more grandiose. Many <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonfootball.com\/2020\/02\/21\/borussia-dortmunds-erling-haaland-future-best-striker-in-the-world\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pundits believe<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Haaland is world football\u2019s next best striker. It is hard to disagree with this claim, as the 19-year-old has already scored eleven goals in seven matches for Dortmund. Two of these came midweek against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The young, humble footballer is a daunting opponent. Standing at 6 foot 4 and weighing almost 200 pounds, Haaland is much more than just a target man. Against Paris, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportbible.com\/football\/take-a-bow-erling-haaland-ran-60m-in-world-championship-time-during-psg-game-20200219\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">he ran 60 metres<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in under seven seconds, which would qualify him for the 60-metre sprint in the track World Championships. Haaland is also more than a poacher. His second goal against the Ligue 1 side was a brilliant strike from just outside of the box. Dortmund are keen on maintaining Haaland&#8217;s services, who<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bvbbuzz.com\/2020\/01\/08\/borussia-dortmund-haaland-release-clause-not-come-effect-2022\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> signed a contract<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> keeping him in North Rhine-Westphalia until 2024. The contract does have a release clause, but this <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bvbbuzz.com\/2020\/01\/08\/borussia-dortmund-haaland-release-clause-not-come-effect-2022\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reportedly<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> does not come into effect until 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>The 2020-21 Season Will Be Dramatic<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If Lewandowski, Werner and Haaland all remain at their respective clubs for next season, the Bundesliga title race and golden boot race could be one for the ages. Each striker has their own style, giving something for every football fan to love. At the same time, each player is at a different stage in their career. A true, three-horse race is on the cards this season, but with Haaland playing in the Bundesliga from the beginning of the next campaign, the stories will write themselves and the drama will be palpable.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Main Photo<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.co.uk\/detail\/1207459680\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 66.66667% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/1207459680?et=ry18cek0TWN0amClKuIG1A&amp;tld=co.uk&amp;sig=DISUf2g02iAWSn4X-nUk9lXjI6B23XrtzFrCkrVSaLM=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Robert Lewandowski, Timo Werner, and Erling Haaland are scoring at will in the Bundesliga. If all remain at the club, next season could see a golden boot and title race for the ages. The Coming Golden Age of Bundesliga Strikers: Erling Haaland, Robert Lewandowski and Timo Werner Lewandowski, Werner and Haaland With just 22 matches [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3276,"featured_media":544191,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,1364,1],"tags":[32739,53,52,51,86,1393,1116,620,313,3182,315,136],"class_list":["post-544161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bundesliga","category-bayern-munich","category-uncategorized","tag-arsenal","tag-bayern-munich","tag-borussia-dortmund","tag-bundesliga","tag-champions-league","tag-erling-haaland","tag-golden-boot","tag-rb-leipzig","tag-robert-lewandowski","tag-striker","tag-timo-werner","tag-world-football"],"modified_by":"Declan Wiseman, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3276"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=544161"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544161\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/544191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=544161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=544161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=544161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}