Robert Lewandowski’s revival has been key to Barcelona’s strong start to life under Hansi Flick as the striker returns to Dortmund to face Borussia in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The 36-year-old Pole has scored 23 goals in 21 games in all competitions this season, putting Barcelona top of the Spanish league and third in the European rankings.
They are ahead of Dortmund, last year’s Champions League finalists, who, like Barcelona, have four wins in five games, on goal difference, before their meeting in Germany.
Lewandowski cut his teeth in top-flight European football with Dortmund between 2010 and 2014, leading them to the 2013 final, where they lost to rivals Bayern Munich at Wembley.
A year later, he joined Bayern and finally won the Champions League with them in 2020.
Lewandowski arrived at Barcelona in 2022 and after a strong debut campaign, his performances dipped last season.
Flick’s arrival brought new impetus to the team and the veteran striker and until a recent swing in form, both thrived.
Lewandowski reached a century of career Champions League goals in Barcelona’s 3-0 win over Brest in November. He is behind only the all-time leading scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo, and former Barcelona great Lionel Messi.
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Lewandowski is the top scorer in Spain and the Champions League, where he has seven goals in five matches, two more than any other player.
Despite his lethal form in front of goal, there is a downside to Lewandowski’s presence in the Barcelona team.
Pressing doubts
Partly due to his age, the striker has been unable to maintain his team’s goal of pressing opponents as regularly as Flick would like.
A drop in pressing intensity has recently exposed Barcelona’s high defensive line, more than at the start of the season.
“It’s clear we made mistakes, but I insist, it’s not the fault of the four defenders, it starts up front,” said the coach after a shock 2-1 defeat to minnows Las Palmas in La Liga at the start of December.
Barcelona also recently blew a two-goal lead at Celta Vigo, with Real Madrid swallowing up the distance between the teams at the top of the table that the Catalans had established.
Barca’s recent problems will be analyzed in depth by Dortmund ahead of the clash at the Westfalenstadion, with Flick also admitting his side have struggled on the road.
Barcelona let the lead slip away twice in a 2-2 draw against Real Betis on Saturday in which Lewandowski scored. He was sometimes overwhelmed by the host.
“We have the quality to win every game but we also have to show it,” Flick said.
“(In) away matches we have to be much stronger than what we played here.”
FILE PHOTO: FC Barcelona coach Hansi Flick before the La Liga match against Las Palmas. | Photo credit: REUTERS
FILE PHOTO: FC Barcelona coach Hansi Flick before the La Liga match against Las Palmas. | Photo credit: REUTERS
Given Flick’s desire to make Barcelona a stronger team, the question is how long Lewandowski can continue to shine as the minutes pile up.
The coach rested the striker during a recent 5-1 loss to Mallorca, suggesting Barcelona may not be dependent on the striker in the same way they are on the winger 17 year old Lamine Yamal.
However, Flick has supported Lewandowski since his arrival and even if the Pole’s work rate has dropped, believes the coach.
“Robert is an absolute professional player, he works hard on his fitness, this body he has, he is not that age,” the coach said earlier in the season.
After some frustrating performances last season, Lewandowski took a step backwards under Flick and Dortmund fans will fear the return of the devastating striker who wore Dortmund colors a decade ago.
