Robert Lewandowski is having more and more problems in his second season for FC Barcelona. The 35-year-old is facing the threat of a changing of the guard at striker, as the figures underline

Robert Lewandowski and FC Barcelona. Following the Polish veteran’s move from FC Bayern to Catalonia, this relationship seemed to be a perfect match at first. The 35-year-old scored 33 goals in 46 competitive games for the Blaugrana in 2022/23, became top scorer and La Liga champion with 23 goals and was only substituted once in his numerous appearances. If he was absent once, it was not for sporting reasons

The statistics don’t lie

This season, however, little has worked out for Lewandowski. In 27 games to date, he has started only 23 times and scored just twelve times, taking an average of 169 minutes to score. By way of comparison: last season, the Pole netted every 120 minutes and therefore collected significantly more playing time (81.7%) than he does now (75%).

It is in keeping with Lewandowski’s dwindling standing that the goalscorer has already been substituted four times this season, while he has left the pitch six times earlier. The same number of times as in the previous season

Competition scores and is built up

The new competitive situation is not the only reason for Lewandowski’s situation. Of course, Ferran Torres (23), Atletico loanee Joao Felix (24) and new winter signing Vitor Roque, who is only 18, are significantly younger than the Polish international.

The truth is, however, that the three attacking players who are occasionally deployed up front largely improve the Catalans’ play. Ferran Torres has scored just one goal less than Lewandowski in La Liga, with seven goals in significantly less playing time, and recently scored a treble against Real Betis. In the 4-2 win, Joao Felix also showed how he can liven up the Catalan attack with an important goal shortly after coming on as a substitute

Game against Betis spoke volumes

Lewandowski, on the other hand, hung in the air, didn’t even shoot on goal and couldn’t get involved in the game. According to the club-affiliated media outlet “Sport”, he didn’t even dribble, often lost the ball and only completed five of his twelve passes to a teammate. From time to time, the Pole looks like a foreign body at the Blaugrana – and also shows his dissatisfaction, for example by refusing to shake hands with youngster Lamine Yamal.

The Pole has been under pressure ever since the arrival of Vitor Roque, who was substituted for Lewandowski in the 63rd minute at Betis with the score at 2-2. Even if the young Brazilian still seems to need time to get used to the Catalans’ style of play, Lewandowski no longer seems untouchable to Barça coach Xavi. And: At least in La Liga, Lewandowski last scored five games ago, in the 2:4 against surprise team FC Girona.

It will be interesting to see how Lewandowski, who has always been a mainstay at FC Bayern, deals with the situation. It is clear that Barça also want the best version of the Pole back. Otherwise, what has already been a mixed season could soon become a title-less one. After the Supercopa exit, the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey await on Wednesday (9.30pm), a tough task at Athletic Bilbao in the San Mames. In La Liga, the gap between Real and Girona at the top of the table is large – and in the Champions League, despite the feasible task of facing SSC Napoli in the round of 16, a major coup is not really expected.