Why Barcelona can still be hopeful even with Lewandowski injured – Report | OneFootball

Injuries have been a rather foul nemesis for FC Barcelona in recent years. Certain players developed a habit of getting sidelined, and it was never a good sight for the Catalan giants. Unfortunately, there is not much that Barcelona can do when unexpected injuries end up occurring.

While there are measures that can be taken to prevent injuries to a degree, such as the exceptional work done by the club to ensure that Pedri remains fit this season, other injuries are simply out of their control. For that reason, the recent injury to Robert Lewandowski is quite the unfortunate occurrence.

Despite his age, the Polish veteran is a player known for his great physical ability and endurance. He has remained available for most of the season and is hardly ever unavailable. Unfortunately, however, he could not do much to escape his injury that occurred in the recent game against Celta Vigo.

While it is definitely a blow to Barça, it might not be as big of a threat to their season as it may look on paper. As highlighted by MARCA, Hansi Flick’s side has showcased this season that they have the ability to win games even with the Polish striker this season.

In fact, they have proven that they can do more than just win their games. Across the three games that Barcelona have played without Lewandowski this season, they have dominated in terms of the goals that they have scored and the defensive resilience that the team has displayed.

Having played a La Liga game against RCD Mallorca, and two Copa del Rey games against Real Betis and Valencia, Hansi Flick’s side managed to score five goals in each of those three games. Moreover, they conceded a grand total of just two goals in return as well.

The players who took on the responsibility in the absence of the Pole were Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo. Interestingly, both of those players even scored against Celta Vigo in the recent comeback at the Montjuic Stadium.

While it is true that Lewandowski is Barça’s primary goal-scoring talisman, with 40 goals across all competitions this season, these statistics prove that there is life and hope even without him. Moreover, both Olmo and Torres have been great as well this season.

Torres has managed to score 17 goals and provide four assists across all competitions this season, and Olmo has managed to find the back of the net nine times and has provided six assists. While injuries have definitely held back the latter this season, there is no denying his quality when he is available.

Moreover, thanks to the versatility of both players, they can be used in various roles as well. Torres has played as a winger on both the left and right this season, and he also operates effectively as a centre-forward. Similarly, Olmo has the ability to play as a false 9 for the team and it has proven to be an effective tactic.

For now, it is expected that Lewandowski will miss the upcoming La Liga game against RCD Mallorca and likely the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid as well. However, even in his absence, Barcelona have the players to put up a good fight against their opponents.