One of the primary faults of FC Barcelona this season has undoubtedly been their inconsistency. The Catalan giants have already managed to lose out on one of the four competitions they compete in as a result. Moreover, these inconsistencies have negatively impacted the progression of Barcelona.
Interestingly, these inconsistencies exist on all levels across the board. In terms of tactics, Xavi’s management of games has been inconsistent and has regularly shown flaws. However, he is not the only one to blame for these problems.
Even the players seem to have lost their own identities. Neither are they performing at their best individually, nor are they doing so as a collective unit. One of the main stars that has come under a lot of criticism for this has undoubtedly been Robert Lewandowski.
His rather poor goal-scoring numbers this season show a great downgrade over his sensational form last season. As a result, Barcelona brought in Brazilian talent Vitor Roque to cover for Lewandowski’s poor form.
However, as SPORT highlights, it seems that Roque’s arrival has ended up ‘activating’ Lewandowski. The player who was supposed to be his replacement has interestingly become the catalyst that has allowed the Polish ace to find his best version again for Barça.
Since Roque’s arrival in the game against UD Las Palmas, Lewandowski has scored in every single game since then. The first was a clash against Barbastro in the Copa Del Ray Round of 32. Coming into the game as a late substitute, the former Bayern Munich striker won a penalty and then converted it.
Then came the clash against CA Osasuna in the Spanish Super Cup over in Saudi Arabia. A semi-final that Barça really wanted to win, Lewandowski became the opening through which Barcelona scored their first goal. This was yet another encounter where the Pole showcased his great positioning and rekindled the finishing touch.
Lastly, his most recent goal came in the game right afterwards. Taking on Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final, the Polish ace ensured that he did not leave empty-handed. Despite losing 4-1 to Los Blancos, Lewandowski scored an absolutely stunning volley.
Now, Barcelona will be hoping he can keep this up. The upcoming encounter against Unionistas should allow both Lewandowski and Vitor Roque to feature either at different points or together. In the event that both their strikers start scoring, Barça would reap a lot of the benefits.