April 29, 2024 is the date of Robert Lewandowski’s last hat-trick. At least, until this Sunday, since the Polish center forward inflicted the same fate on the Alavés defense… in 25 minutes (0-3). A rare performance, even if it is already the 34the of his career, which allows the former Bavarian to become the top European scorer with 12 goals in 11 matches (TCC), ahead of Erling Haaland (11) and Harry Kane (10). But how can we explain this resurrection at 36?
Breath of fresh air Hansi Flick
After a golden season in 2022-2023 for his first in Barcelona, where he won the title of top scorer in the Spanish championship as well as La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup, the Polish striker marked time during the following year under Xavi. Less visible on the pitch, the Polish giant seemed to have somehow lost his superpowers. « Before Barcelona, I was a bit of a machine, here I became human again. Breaking records is no longer my main goal. The most important thing is to help my team win and enjoy the matches. These are my last years in the world of football, two, maybe three to go »declared the main interested party in mid-September 2023. Often taken out during the match by Xavi, which never happened to him in previous seasons, the captain of the Red and white is struggling. In addition to his lackluster season, 26 goals and 9 assists all the same in 49 matches, his Euro 2024 with Poland ends in the group stage, without his penalty against the Blues changing much.
Despite these headwinds, Lewandowski sees the end of the tunnel with the arrival of his former coach at Bayern Munich, Hansi Flick, with whom he experienced the best years of his career, notably the 2019-2020 season with his 55 pawns in 47 matches where he should have won the Ballon d’Or. This weekend, the German technician did not hide his admiration for his protégé at a post-match press conference. “I think it’s also about the team, everyone supports him. And in the end, he knows exactly what he has to do in the area in front of goal. He’s the best player for me, decided the former coach of the team. And it’s incredible, over such a period, to always score such a number of goals, it’s very good. I’m very happy with him, and you can also see that he is 100% fit. I’m happy for Lewy. »
Lewandowski is the limit
Well helped by the emergence of new talents, such as the precious Lamine Yamal, and a better-oiled collective, more capable of serving him in good conditions, the Pole, whose lifestyle still seems as impeccable, is once again capable to carry his team. The start of the season is thunderous with 9 victories in 11 matches but the first big tests of this year are fast approaching, notably with the reception of Bayern Munich (well, well, well) and the first Clásico at the end of the month. It is in this type of big meeting that we will be able to determine whether Robert Lewandowski has definitively regained his former level or not. We understand it well: he no longer wishes to chase records, it is however still time for him to mark the history of Barça, where he is only the 35e top scorer of the club with 71 pawns. If he already gleans a new Liga right under the nose of Kylian Mbappé’s Real Madrid or if he brings the Champions League to Barcelona for the first time since 2015, that wouldn’t be bad. But we’re not there yet.
Towards a return of Barça to Camp Nou before the end of the year?
