Xavi Hernández: “It’s the best Barça since I arrived”

Robert Lewandowski is no longer alone. At least he doesn’t feel isolated. And this is demonstrated by his statistics. In the last four games he has scored four goals. “I am happy and proud for the team. We created chances and scored 5 goals. “This means that everything is under control!” said the striker.

5

Ter Stegen, Alex Balde, Cancelo (Sergi Roberto, 75th minute), A. Christensen, Kounde, Gundogan, Gavi (Fermin Lopez, 57th minute), Frenkie De Jong (Oriol Romeu, 57th minute), João Felix (Lamine). Yamal, 67th minute, Lewandowski and Raphinha (Ferran Torres, 67th minute)

0

Jean Butez, Alderweireld, Wijndal, Soumaula Coulibaly, Jelle Bataille, Jurgen Ekkelenkamp (Alhassan Yusuf, min. 60), Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Arthur Vermeeren, Mandela Keita, Arbnor Muja y Vincent Janssen (George Ilenikhena, min. 60)

Goals 1-0 min. 11: John Felix. 2-0 min. 18: Lewandowski. 3-0 min. 22: Jelle Battle (pp). 4-0 min. 53: Gavi. 5-0 min. 66: John Felix.

Referee Dear Marian Petrescu

Yellow cards Gavi (min. 36)

Against Antwerp, the Pole reached 92 goals in the Champions League and established himself as the third top scorer in the Champions League, behind Cristiano Ronaldo (141) and Lionel Messi (121). After 19 seasons, neither the Portuguese nor the Argentine will be able to continue increasing their records, while the former Madrid striker is in the Saudi league, the player trained in the Barça quarry moved to the MLS. Furthermore, the former Bayern Munich attacker already has 100 goals in all European competitions. “Robert is a spectacular footballer. I have the feeling that we play better football. The best Barça since I arrived. It is the way,” said Xavi Hernández.

The system with four midfielders did not favor Lewandowski’s game. That’s what the Polish striker thought when he complained that he didn’t get as many balls into the area. The attacker’s loneliness increased when Pedri was injured in the second half of last season. Barcelona’s game suffered without the Canarian’s football as well as Lewandowski’s activity in the area. “I want balls, it doesn’t matter if I arrive or not. But I need balls in the area,” the Pole complained to his teammates.

Everything changed this season. “When we play with our offensive style, we score a lot of goals,” said the Pole, after the victory against Antwerp. Although Lewandowski remains without direct competition for the center forward position (Ansu Fati, his main rival, left for Brighton), he added company in attack. Gündogan, his old teammate at Borussia Dortmund, and also João Félix, new partner at Barcelona, ​​his assistant in his last two goals. “Good players understand each other. Robert is spectacular in the area. He has the patience to be more positional,” Xavi analyzed. And Lewandowski completed: “João Félix thinks like an offensive player. He plays forward and creates space with or without the ball. He always looks to go forward, so I have to be prepared.”

“João has a lot of quality, a lot of talent. It’s only the first game, there’s a lot left, it’s too early to talk about what we’re going to do in the Champions League,” said De Jong. The winger Cancelo is also postulated as an attacking man, at the same time as the young pearl of La Masia, Lamine Yamal, appears. On the left wing he has his old ally from last season: Alejandro Balde. Xavi’s Barcelona adds people in attack and Lewandowski appreciates it. The locker room too: “Robert is only happy when he scores.” The Pole already says it: “Everything is under control.”

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