Munich - German goalscoring legend Gerd Mueller believes his record of 40 league goals in a season could be beaten by the Bundesliga's current top scorer Vedad Ibisevic. "Everything is possible. If he carries on like this he will reach the 40-goal mark, and I'll be congratulating him," Mueller says in a television interview to be broadcast on Tuesday.
The former German international - a World Cup winner in 1974 - hit 40 goals in 34 matches for Bayern Munich in the 1971-72 season and scored more than 30 a season six times.
Bosnian striker Ibisevic has now scored 17 times in 15 games for promoted side Hoffenheim, who are top of the table.
Mueller admitted in the interview with DSF he had not heard of the 24-year-old player before the start of the season.
"A goal instinct like that is something you cannot learn. Either you have it or you don't - and Ibisevic has it without a doubt," Mueller said.
The former striker, now 63, said Ibisevic reminded him of his former team-mate Uli Hoeness, now the Bayern Munich general manager, who "also had the same sort of drive towards goal."
Ibisevic has, however, already played down his chances of reaching Mueller's record.
"If you calculate up my tally then 40 goals could be possible, but I'm not thinking about that at all," he said.
"It isn't even my aim. I just want to enjoy the current wonderful situation, keep on playing and to win every game," he said before scoring again in Saturday's 3-0 win over Arminia Bielefeld.
Mueller, who scored 365 Bundesliga goals in 427 matches and 68 goals in 62 games for West Germany, sees his former club as favourite when Hoffenheim visit Munich on Friday evening in a top-of-the-table clash.
Bayern will be "especially motivated" to beat Hoffenheim and want to end the year before the winter break top of the table, he said.
