Top five players with the most penalty goals in Bundesliga

The German league has boasted many of football's great strikers.

The Bundesliga is one of the top sporting competitions in the world. The German top flight has been home to some of the greatest players in the history of the sport. Gerd Muller, Robert Lewandowski, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are some of the top strikers to have played in the league. All these players are renowned goal-machines. They have managed to score a plethora of goals throughout their careers, including penalty-kicks.

A spot-kick seems like an easy task for a professional, but it is far from it. The penalty-taker must keep his calm under pressure and beat the goalkeeper. Penalties are some of the most nerve-racking situations in the sport. Score from 12 yards and you are an instant hero, while a miss quickly turns a player into a villain.

So, players taking penalties need to have the iciest of veins and the German league has had many of them. Let’s have a look at the five players with the most penalty goals in Bundesliga history.

5. Stefan Kuntz (30 Goals)

The German striker had a brilliant career in the Bundesliga. He made 449 appearances, scoring 179 goals. His best spell in the top flight came with FC Kaiserslautern. The striker won the DFB Pokal and Bundesliga with them.

Stefan Kuntz played for four clubs in the German first division. He ranks among the top 10 in the league’s leading scorers. 30 of those goals came from the penalty spot. The forward also made 25 appearances for Germany, scoring six times. He won the 1996 Euros with them.

4. Robert Lewandowski (39 Goals)

The next player on the list with most penalty goals in the Bundesliga is the Polish superstar. Robert Lewandowksi is considered one of the greatest forwards of his generation. He started his career in the German top flight with Borussia Dortmund. The 33-year-old then joined arch-rivals Bayern Munich and rose to world fame.

Robert Lewandowski has scored 308 goals in the Bundesliga and 39 of them are penalties. He is second on the all-time scorers' list. The Pole has had a sensational career. He's won the league nine times with the two clubs, along with several domestic cup honours. The striker has also won the Champions League twice with the Bavarians.

3. Michael Zorc (49 Goals)

The German played his entire career at Borussia Dortmund as a central midfielder. He was their set-piece specialist during his time there. Zorc made 463 appearances for the Black and Yellows in the league.

He had a great goalscoring record from midfield. Zorc scored 131 Bundesliga goals, 49 were from the spot. The midfielder spent 17 years and Borussia Dortmund and currently serves as their sporting director.

Michael Zorc won the Bundesliga twice with Dortmund. He was also a part of the 1996 UEFA Champions League-winning side.

2. Gerd Muller (50 Goals)

Arguably the greatest player Germany ever produced, Gerd Muller is next on the list of players with the most penalty goals in the Bundesliga. He spent the majority of his career at Bayern Munich. Muller won countless honours, including four leagues and three European Cups.

Gerd Muller is the leading Bundesliga scorer of all-time with 365 strikes. He scored 50 of them from the penalty spot.

He had a sensational record with Germany (then West Germany) as well. In 62 appearances, Muller netted 68 goals. He also won the 1972 European Championship and the 1974 World Cup with West Germany.

1. Manfred Kaltz (53 Goals)

A dynamic full-back, Manfred Kaltz has the most penalty goals in Bundesliga history. The defender was an expert from 12 yards. Kaltz netted 53 times from the spot. He scored only 76 times in the league.

Manfred Kaltz spent the majority of his career with Hamburg SV. He made 581 Bundesliga appearances, the second-most in the club’s history. The defender also had brief spells at Bordeaux and Mulhouse.

The right-back had one of the best crosses in the game. He used them to setup Hamburg's striker Horst Hrubesch. The duo led the club to three league titles. Kaltz was also a part of West Germany’s 1980 Euros-winning team.

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