the Bundesliga. In PowerTable Sports Bundesliga XI of the Season, created at the mid-way point of the campaign, Kießling was the only striker included in a 4–2–3–1 formation. Kießling continued to show consistently good form during the second half of the season and scored seven goals in the final six Bundesliga matches, including a brace against Hoffenheim on 20 April 2013 and game-winning goals against Werder Bremen on 27 April and Hannover 96 on 11 May. He was ultimately crowned the Bundesliga's highest scoring player for the 2012–13 season (having netted 25 goals in total, edging out Robert Lewandowski who finished with 24 goals). This personal record was secured with a goal on the final day of the Bundesliga season against Hamburg; scoring from a Sidney Sam pass in the final minute to secure a 1–0 win and third place in the Bundesliga. With his 25 goals, he contributed to 38% of Leverkusen's total goal output for the year. The 29-year-old also led the Bundesliga with shots taken on goal per game (3.6 on average). He also recorded seven assists, which was tied for the club lead at Leverkusen. Kießling also led the Bundesliga in aerial duels per match (5.4) – thanks to his height (191 cm) – and also led the league in fouls committed per match (2.6). He was also a scoring threat inside the box, scoring 24 of his 25 inside the area. He was included in the Bundesliga Team of the Season and was voted as the league's fourth best player overall. He finished the season with 27 goals in 43 matches in all competition. 2013–14 season On 26 July 2013, Kießling signed a contract extension with Leverkusen, committing himself to the club until 2017. His first goals of the 2013–14 season came in the first round of the DFB-Pokal on 3 August 2013, scoring in both halves as Leverkusen defeated Regionalliga side SV Lippstadt 08 6–1. In the first match of the Bundesliga campaign, Kießling scored his side's opener in a 3–1 defeat of Freiburg. On 14 September, he scored twice in the second half to give Leverkusen a 3–1 win over 10-man Wolfsburg. With his strong start to the season along with Sidney Sam and Son Heung-min, the trio were compared to the Stuttgart's Magic Triangle of the mid-1990s, consisting of players Krasimir Balakov, Fredi Bobic and Giovane Élber, who were known for terrorizing