This reaction says it all. Xavi’s eyes widened

It could have started out perfectly. Already in the 3rd minute, Robert Lewandowski made a move with his hand and showed where he wanted to get the ball. And he got it. From Pedri, to an open field. The Polish striker broke free of Raul Albiol, but in a one-on-one with Pepe Reina, he kicked straight at him. Xavi immediately widened his eyes, winced and leaned back. He was disappointed but understandable because it should have been a goal for Barcelona.

After a while, the Barcelona coach continued to get angry. Not on Lewandowski, but on Gavi, who passed too hard and inaccurately towards the Pole. Gavi should do it better, and above all differently – play the other side to Raphinha. That’s what Xavi wanted.

Not so much about bad plays as bad choices, Xavi had a lot of grudges against his players on Sunday. But it’s not like they were always bad, because there were also good ones, and even very good ones. As in the 18th minute, when Raphinha passed to Lewandowski, and he played the ball to Pedri in the penalty area and scored an assist. As many as an assist and only an assist, because before the break, Lewandowski had another great opportunity to score a goal – in the 26th minute, when he accepted the ball in the penalty area, he deceived Albiol again and kicked straight at Reina again.

It was hard to resist the impression that Lewandowski would use both of these situations in the form. He would have had not one, but two goals at this point, and Barcelona would be leading 3-0.

“He is used to winning trophies”

You know it was the World Cup. That there was a forced break in January due to a red card suspension. But a week ago, Lewandowski wasn’t even close. He fired three shots, none of them dangerous. Barcelona won 3-0 against Sevilla with goals from Jordi Alba, Gavi and Raphinha, but the Polish striker – – did not look happy after the game.

“He is used to winning trophies, to scoring goals. He is a player who pushes his opponents hard, he has a shooting ability that not every player can boast of – Xavi complimented Lewandowski before the match against Villarreal. As if he knew that after a meeting like the one with Sevilla a week ago – without a goal and no assist – the Pole needs praise above all.

But it’s probably not about the praise here, but only about the goals. Lewandowski with Barcelona, ​​which impresses with good organization of the game and tight defense, not only aims to regain the championship, but also the 12th league crown of the top scorer in his career. He started in the second division, then the first, the Ekstraklasa, seven times in the Bundesliga and once in the Champions League. The next one is to be La Liga, where the Pole scored 14 goals in 18 matches this season, and added five assists, the last of which – on Sunday, in a match against Villarreal.

Lewandowski could have had two assists

It was a game in which Barcelona may not have played outstandingly, but they quickly took the lead, and Villarreal did not look like a team capable of opposing them for a long time. In fact, until the added time of the first half, when Jules Kounde did not intercept the ball in his own half, and Jose Luis Morales 100 percent. chance to hit the post. It was the first but also the only warning for Barcelona. After the break – apart from an added-time situation when Samuel Chukwueze scored from an offside position – the hosts never seriously threatened Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s goal.

Lewandowski was also not a threat, who on Sunday tried to play more in combination, to cooperate with his colleagues. In the 63rd minute, he could have scored a second assist – Raphhinha was slightly wrong then. It may not have been a bad match for him, and certainly better than the previous two, and maybe even the best in 2023, but it was still not at the level that Lewandowski got used to in Spain before the World Cup. On Sunday, after the break, he fired three shots – in the 51st, 55th and 92nd minutes – the first with the head, the second and the third with the right foot. The first two missed, in addition from an offside position. The last one on target, from outside the penalty area, but straight at the goalkeeper. And that would be it.

Barcelona beat Villarreal 1-0 to extend their lead over second-placed Real to 11 points, who will play a rescheduled match against Elche on Wednesday. On Thursday, Xavi’s team will face Manchester United in the 1/16 of the Europa League. At Camp Nou, where Lewandowski has been waiting for a goal since October 23. The match starts at 18.45.

Robert Lewandowski in the match against Villarreal:

• game minutes: 95
• goals: 0
• assists: 1
• shots on target: 3
• missed shots: 2
• shots blocked: 0
• touches with the ball: 41
• accurate passes 17/26
• duels (wins): 6 (4)
• fouls: 3
• fouled: 3
• burned: 2