After two years of underachievement by their high standards, Barcelona have moved to address their struggles by signing Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich. The Poland international has been nothing short of sensational for Bayern during his eight years at the club, continually topping the Bundesliga goalscoring charts. In 253 Bundesliga appearances, for the Bavarian outfit, he notched an incredible 238 goals, almost a goal per game.
Bayern won the Bundesliga title every year that Lewandowski played for the club, enjoying an unprecedented run of success. Barca had a gaping hole in the final third left by Lionel Messi following his exit in 2021 to sign for Paris Saint-Germain. Memphis Depay scored only 12 goals, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang found the net 11 times in 17 LaLiga appearances after moving from Arsenal in January.
Barca lacked the firepower enjoyed by Real Madrid with Karim Benzema leading the line. In their bid to compete for the crown, they’ve moved for one of the best marksmen in the world. It is a gamble considering that Lewandowski will be 34 next season along with Barca’s current financial predicament.
However, if the club wish to get back to the top of LaLiga, it is one that they have to take. After signing Lewandowski, backing Barcelona to win the title could be a prudent bet to make, especially if you want to enjoy the best online betting Canada has to offer, with sites that will provide odds for the Catalan club to triumph ahead of Real Madrid and their rivals.
The race at the top is tight, with Madrid backed as the favourites after winning a league and Champions League double last season. Carlo Ancelotti will have his team well drilled for another run at the title, while Atletico Madrid and Diego Simeone will be looking to regain their crown after a disappointing defence in the 2021/22 season.
Barca will be hopeful that Lewandowski can hit the ground running, although there will be an adjustment for the Pole moving from the Bundesliga to LaLiga. At the age of 33 soon to be 34, Lewandowski is far from the prime of his career. His statistics say otherwise, but there will be an air of expectation of him to dominate for Barca in the same way he did at Bayern.
Unfortunately, Lewandowski is not walking into a team flush with confidence and a winning mentality across the board. There was a lack of fluency in the final third for Barcelona last season, which will make life difficult, along with blending in Lewandowski and fellow new boy Raphinha into the fold. They are great players, but even the best take time to settle.
Then there is the World Cup which takes place in the middle of the campaign. It will no doubt take a lot out of Lewandowski and raises the prospect of burnout towards the end of the season. If he was 28, his recovery would be a lot quicker than at the age of 34 when he returns from the tournament. Xaxi and the Barcelona staff need to be very careful in their management of the Pole to ensure that they get the best out of him next season and beyond to ensure that the transfer is a successful one.
