Champions League: with Lewandowski in the Europa League – Barça is struggling with a bunch of shrapnel

With 91 goals in 111 games, Robert Lewandowski is the third best scorer in Champions League history (see photo gallery below). The premier class has been in his diary for years: the Pole has been making progress with his club in the Champions League since 2013. Most recently, he failed in 2012 with Borussia Dortmund, and then again on Wednesday night. And this without even playing.

Even before the great success against Bayern – which was gone – it was clear that Barcelona would miss the round of 16. This is because counterpart Inter defeated Viktoria Pilsen 4-0 in prime time. A pity for the proud Catalans: the club motto “Més que un club – more than a club” now sounds like a sentence. “It’s just a very difficult moment. We have to react. We have to change our attitude,” says coach Xavi.

Disgrace also for the leaders Lewandowski, who only in the summer forced the transfer from Bayern to Barça to look for a new challenge. In the summer, the Catalan club was still busy spending, securing the rights to new players for over 150 million francs, despite debts of around 1.3 billion francs.

With striker Lewandowski – the Pole has scored 312 goals in 384 games for BVB and Bayern in twelve years in the Bundesliga – Barça wanted to build on the successful days spent around superstar Lionel Messi. But now the Catalans have missed the round of 16 of the CL for the second consecutive year. After Messi’s departure in the summer of 2021, there was no rest at Barça. The results weren’t right, there wasn’t a superstar on the team who met the demands of the fans, almost nothing went as it should.

After Lewandowski’s various entries in the summer, the start of the season in the Spanish league was almost perfect, seven wins in eight games. But in the Champions League little or nothing he wanted to make it, despite Lewy’s five goals in five games. Then came El Clásico against Real Madrid – and Los Blancos humiliated Barça 3-1, another low blow. Now the humiliation in the most important club competition in the world – the malice was quickly resolved.

So now the Europa League, a nightmare for Lewy. The Pole has scored three goals in qualifying and group stage so far, for BVB and Lech Poznan. Now the duels with Juventus Turin, which also failed in the premier class, or Manchester United are threatening. With the British, another superstar proclaims, Cristiano RonaldoRecord top scorer in the Champions League, he also struggled to make friends with the club, which “only” competes in the Europa League.

But back to Lewandowski: he was served Wednesday night after the defeat against his former colleagues, he ran away in frustration and did not appear in front of the press. But as it should be for a superstar, the 34-year-old still showed greatness. He is said to have talked to his former teammates later on. “Lewy was alone in the locker room with us. We exchanged ideas briefly. He is a good guy who we wish the best to, ”Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic told Sport1. A small consolation for Lewy, just like the unpopular Europa League. Now the first Spanish league title since 2019 is a must, otherwise not only Lewandowski, but FC Barcelona too have massively miscalculated.