Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski is set to make his return from injury and has come in for huge praise from manager Xavi ahead of the team’s trip to Athletic Club in La Liga.
Lewandowski has missed Barcelona’s last two matches with a hamstring strain but has been passed fit for the trip to San Mames and is in the squad which will travel to Bilbao for the game on Sunday, March 12.
✅ Robert Lewandowski is fit and is in the squad for #AthleticBarça!
Xavi spoke about Lewandowski ahead of the match at his pre-game press conference and made it clear just how highly he rates the Poland international and opened up on the impact he’s made on the club in his first full season at the Camp Nou.
“I talk a lot with Robert about football. I will compare him with people with Ronaldinho and Messi,” he told reporters. “He has changed the mentality of our team. He’s our leader and all our players are growing with him”
Lewandowski has scored 25 goals in 31 games so far for Barcelona in the 2022-23 campaign and is leading the race for the Pichichi, handing to La Liga’s top scorer at the end of the campaign.
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Xavi Responds To Lewandowski Comments.
Xavi also responded to comments made by Lewandowski ahead of the match. The striker was warned Barcelona can’t simply play “nice football” and must learn to adapt to the modern version of the game.
The Barcelona coach says he agrees with his striker and spoke about the difference he has seen in the game over the last decade or so.
“It’s important for him to communicate. Of course 10 years ago football was different, nowadays in a few seconds you can play box to box. Football was slower, you’d have more control,” he explained. “Now, mostly all of the teams press up front, more transitions now, so I completely agree with Robert but it’s doesn’t change our mentality or our way of playing”
Xavi has previously made it clear he’s committed to playing in the traditional Barca style and has led his team to the top of the table in Spain, nine points clear of Real Madrid, and into the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.
Lewandowski Back For Crunch Week
Lewandowski has returned for Barcelona in time for what is crunch week for the Catalans. Xavi’s side take on Athletic Club and Real Madrid in La Liga before domestic competitions pauses for an international break.
Victories in both games will bring the title into view for Barcelona, but Xavi warned his players at his press conference that the trip to San Mames is one of the toughest away fixtures of the season.
“Athletic are not getting the results they probably deserve,” he explained. “They are really strong physically. They have a direct way of playing. They are a really intense team, it’s one of the toughest away games that we still have. We’ll need to match their intensity.”
Yet Barcelona have a good recent record against the Basque side and won 4-0 at the Camp Nou earlier this season, with Lewandowski scoring in a comprehensive win.
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Xavi Compares Barcelona Forward To Messi and Ronaldinho