Ranking the 9 best goal-scoring Bundesliga seasons of the 2020s decade so far

Even though the Bundesliga season is actually the shortest of any top five league since there are only 18 teams in the first division, meaning every team plays four fewer games per season, the German top flight has become known for gaudy goal-scoring statistics.

But in case anyone keeps trying to apply the “Bundesliga tax” to downplay the accomplishments of top strikers in German football, Erling Haaland quickly dispelled that notion by breaking the single-season Premier League goals record in his first season with Manchester City, scoring more goals (36) than he ever did with Borussia Dortmund.

Haaland is actually the only Dortmund player who scored at least 20 goals in a single season in the 2020s decade, and while there’s only been four completed seasons in the 2020s, that speaks to both his quality and the falling standard at striker in Dortmund.

Meanwhile, arch rivals Bayern Munich have boasted two global superstars at the striker position in Robert Lewandowski and Harry Kane, who have both broken unique Bundesliga records as the face of one of Europe’s most ruthless attacks.

But mixed in are great seasons from strikers playing for less hyped Bundesliga clubs. Andre Silva hasn’t done much since leaving Eintracht Frankfurt and flopping at RB Leipzig, but that golden season for the Eagles outpaced even those produced by other great Frankfurt forwards Randal Kolo Muani (went on to join PSG), Luka Jovic (of Real Madrid and AC Milan “fame”), and Sebastien Haller (a West Ham and Dortmund flop).

Serhou Guirassy is the latest top Bundesliga striker to fight for the top spot in the single-season goals column to join Dortmund, replacing the 2022/23 joint winner, Niclas Fullkrug, who packed his bags for West Ham afterwards. If last season’s results hold, maybe Dortmund are getting a major upgrade anyway.

Of course, Guirassy and Kane weren’t the only strikers with awesome 2023/24 seasons in the Bundesliga. Leipzig newcomer Lois Openda outshined top Aresnal and Chelsea transfer target Benjamin Sesko with 24 goals as Red Bull’s primary starter.

9. Borussia Dortmund ST Erling Haaland, 22 goals in 2021/22

8. Bayer Leverkusen ST Patrik Schick, 24 goals in 2021/22

7. RB Leipzig ST Lois Openda, 24 goals in 2023/24

6. Borussia Dortmund ST Erling Haaland, 27 goals in 2020/21

5. Eintracht Frankfurt ST Andre Silva, 28 goals in 2020/21

4. Stuttgart ST Serhou Guirassy, 28 goals in 2023/24

3. Bayern Munich ST Robert Lewandowski, 35 goals in 2021/22

2. Bayern Munich ST Harry Kane, 36 goals in 2023/24

1. Bayern Munich ST Robert Lewandowski, 41 goals in 2020/21

You may wonder why there are only nine players on this list and not an even ten, and that’s simply because there were at least a handful of players who would have been tied in 10th with 20 goals scored, including FC Koln icon Anthony Modeste and current Chelsea star Christopher Nkunku.