Bayern Munich warmed up for Real Madrid's visit by smashing the Bundesliga record for goals in a season and taking a major step toward yet another league title on Saturday.
Leon Goretzka scored Bayern's record-breaking 102nd league goal of the season as relegation-threatened St. Pauli was routed 5-0 away. Bayern opened a 12-point gap over Borussia Dortmund with five rounds remaining.
Jamal Musiala equaled the record of 101 goals set by Bayern's 1971-72 team featuring Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller by opening the scoring with a header in the ninth minute, and Goretzka broke the record with a volley in the 53rd.
"Sadly, he's the one who broke it," Musiala said. "But yes, it was a good moment, great moment for Leon as well. It's gonna be with both of us forever, hopefully."
Michael Olise took the tally to 103 just a minute later, Nicolas Jackson grabbed Bayern's fourth, and Raphaël Guerreiro scored late to lift the mark to 105.
With five games still to go, it means Bayern are almost certain to surpass the mark set by a Manchester City squad featuring Sergio Agüero which set a Premier League record of 106 goals in 2017-18, and could yet catch Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid team which scored 121 in La Liga in 2011-12.
Chasing down either of those targets would be all the more impressive because Bayern have four fewer games to do it in, thanks to the Bundesliga's 34-game schedule.
The record in Europe's top five leagues is 125 goals for Torino in Serie A back in 1947-48 in a 40-game season.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said it was fitting that Goretzka got the record-breaking goal.
"I said to the team, if there's one person who believes in his moment, it's Leon [Goretzka]," Kompany said. "The fact he got the goals record is somehow typical of him because he always believes in himself. For me, he's a great example to the boys."
Bayern' honorary president Uli Hoeness was part of the team that held the previous record, scoring 13 goals -- including the team's 100th -- in the 1971-72 season.
"I'm really pleased because I spoke to Mr. Hoeness yesterday about how we were closing in on this record," Kompany said. "It's stood for such a long time, which makes it even nicer that we've now claimed it.
"What I find good in general is that our team stands for goals. That's just what FC Bayern and also our team are about. I think the boys should be proud of it -- but of course, we carry on."
Saturday's milestone was just the latest in a dominant season for Komapny's side.
Bayern set a record for Europe's top five leagues by winning their first 14 games. During that stretch they became the fastest team in Bundesliga history to reach 50 goals.
Lennart Karl's last-gasp winner for Bayern in a 3-2 comeback win over Freiburg last week was Bayern's 100th Bundesliga goal of the season.
England striker Harry Kane has led the way with 31 league goals as he chases down Robert Lewandowski's Bundesliga record of 41. Luis Díaz (15) and Michael Olise (12) have also chipped in with double-digit goals from out wide.
Kompany, though, brushed off a question about whether this is now the best Bayern Munich team in history.
"No, I think the benchmark is so, so high for this club, for this team," he said. "No, look, we're in a good phase. Every game is so important at the moment, so we focus on that and if we pick up a record, it's nice, but we have a big game on Wednesday, so that's the only focus now."
Bayern will welcome Real Madrid to the Allianz Arena on Wednesday with a 2-1 lead in their Champions League quarterfinal, while they face Bayer Leverkusen in the German Cup semifinals later this month.
Ahead of the rematch with Madrid, Kompany fielded a weakened side against St. Pauli as he rested a host of players including Kane and Aleksandar Pavlović.
