Robert Lewandowski’s revival has been a key to Barcelona’s sturdy begin to life beneath Hansi Flick because the striker returns to Dortmund to face Borussia within the Champions League on Wednesday.
The 36-year-old Pole has netted 23 targets in 21 video games throughout all competitions this season, taking Barcelona high of the Spanish league and as much as third within the European standings.
They lead final 12 months’s Champions League finalists Dortmund, who like Barcelona have 4 victories from 5 video games, on objective distinction earlier than their assembly in Germany.
Lewandowski minimize his enamel in high stage European soccer with Dortmund between 2010 and 2014, driving them to the 2013 closing, the place they misplaced to rivals Bayern Munich at Wembley.
A 12 months later he joined Bayern and eventually claimed the Champions League with them in 2020.
Lewandowski arrived at Barcelona in 2022 and after a robust first marketing campaign, his efficiency dipped final season.
Flick’s arrival gave each the workforce and the veteran striker contemporary impetus and till a current wobble in kind, each have thrived.
Lewandowski reached a profession century of Champions League targets in Barcelona’s 3-0 win over Brest in November. He trails solely all-time high goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo and former Barcelona nice Lionel Messi.
Lewandowski is high scorer each in Spain and within the Champions League, the place he boasts seven targets from 5 matches, two greater than every other participant.
Regardless of his deadly kind in entrance of objective, Lewandowski’s presence in Barcelona’s aspect does have one disadvantage.
– Urgent doubts –
Partly given his age, the striker has not been in a position to preserve his workforce’s goal of urgent opponents as persistently as Flick would really like.
A drop in urgent depth has just lately uncovered Barcelona’s excessive line of defense greater than initially of the season.
“It is clear that we made errors, however I insist, it is not the fault of the again 4, it begins up entrance,” mentioned the coach after a shock 2-1 loss to minnows Las Palmas in La Liga initially of December.
Barcelona additionally just lately threw away a two-goal lead at Celta Vigo, with Actual Madrid gobbling up the gap between the edges on the high of the desk that the Catalans had established.
Barca’s current points will likely be completely analysed by Dortmund forward of the conflict on the Westfalenstadion, with Flick additionally admitting his workforce have struggled on the highway.
Barcelona twice let a lead slip in a 2-2 draw at Actual Betis on Saturday during which Lewandowski scored. They had been overwhelmed at instances by the hosts.
“We now have the standard to win each match however we even have to point out that,” mentioned Flick.
“(In) the away matches we have now to be a lot stronger than we performed right here.”
Given Flick’s drive to make Barcelona a extra strong workforce, the questions is how lengthy Lewandowski can proceed to shine because the minutes rack up.
The coach rested the striker for a current 5-1 romp over Mallorca which advised Barcelona may not be depending on the ahead in the identical means they’re on 17-year-old winger Lamine Yamal.
Nonetheless, Flick has backed Lewandowski since arriving and even when the Pole’s work-rate has dipped, the coach believes.
“Robert is an absolute skilled participant, working exhausting on his health, this physique he has, it is not this age,” mentioned the coach earlier within the season.
After some irritating shows final season, Lewandowski has rolled again the years beneath Flick and Dortmund followers will concern the return of the devastating ahead who wore their colors a decade in the past.
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