Robert Lewandowski and Harry Kane are the two leading strikers in European football. Together, they have scored 27 goals at the start of the season and are lifting Barcelona and Bayern Munich, rivals in one of the major matches of the Champions League this Wednesday.

The change of coach has done wonders for Lewandowski. The 36-year-old Polish forward has netted 14 goals in 12 matches, comparable to his best years.

According to a comparison by Besoccer for EFE, Lewandowski's numbers in the first quarter of the season show that he has only exceeded this season's records on three occasions in his career with Bayern Munich (2015-16, 2021-22, and 2019-20). He scored 16 goals in those first 12 matches. Currently, he has 14 goals in the first 12 under Hansi Flick. With Xavi Hernández, his best record was 13 goals in the first 12 matches.

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After a challenging year, Lewandowski has thrived under Hansi Flick. It’s not just the goals (14) and his involvement in play, but also a series of intangibles.

In a comparison of thirteen different variables, the current Lewandowski surpasses the Lewandowski from the Xavi Hernández era in twelve categories. He scores more (1.16 vs. 0.63), takes more shots (4.13 vs. 3.01), and has more shots on target (2.13 vs. 1.43). He is more effective in finishing (54.8% vs. 44%), scores more goals excluding penalties, and provides more assists and key passes.

He also delivers more passes that lead to shots, recovers more balls in the final third, has more touches in the box, progresses better with the ball, and attempts more passes. The only statistic that improved under Xavi was ball losses (9.63 vs. the current 10.12).

Moreover, with his brace in the recent victory against Sevilla (5-1), the Barcelona striker became the third all-time leading scorer in the five major European leagues, with 366 goals, surpassing Gerd Müller (365), and only behind Cristiano Ronaldo (495) and Leo Messi (496).

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Facing him this Wednesday will be Harry Kane, the Bundesliga's top scorer last season (36 goals), who has netted 13 goals in 10 matches so far this season.

The comparison between the two presents similar data. The Polish forward is 36, while the Englishman is 31; Lewandowski stands at 1.85 meters, while Kane is 1.88. However, Lewandowski's trophy cabinet is infinitely superior to that of the German striker, who has yet to win any titles in his career.

In terms of playing style, Lewandowski is more consistent than Kane, but Kane recently scored a hat-trick in the last Bundesliga match against Stuttgart. He has shown his scoring prowess with Tottenham (32 goals in the 2022-23 season) and last season at Bayern under Tuchel (44 goals).

Kane is more of a poacher, capable of scoring from nothing, while the latest version of Lewandowski showcases a more participative player, who seems to have been reborn under Hansi Flick.

In any case, much of both teams’ fortunes will rest on the feet of Lewandowski and Kane. The outcome will be revealed this Wednesday.