Robert Lewandowski was the most important player for Barcelona as the Catalans got their first win in the 2024-25 La Liga campaign against Valencia last night. The Pole scored a brace to ensure his side’s victory after the Blaugranes had gone a goal down at the end of the first half.
Lewandowski ensured his team did not go into half-time at a disadvantage as he scored a goal four minutes in injury time. He then scored another goal from the penalty spot early in the second half and thus became the top scorer in La Liga with the opening round of the competition still in progress.
The Polish veteran received the Man of the Match award for this performance and also talked to the media after the game. As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the striker acknowledged that the team’s performance could have been better in the earlier stages of the game, but getting the three points was a great step forward:
“I think today’s match was very important. In the first 20-25 minutes, we didn’t play very well, but as time went on, we improved. We also had trouble reaching the penalty area in the first half. In the second half, we played much better with 2-3 very young players. Valencia’s stadium is always a tough place to play, but it’s great to take all three points in the first match of the season.”
Furthermore, the Barcelona ace also commended the team’s ability to win despite the presence of a large number of youngsters, while also highlighting an area that needs improvement:
“Today, we showed that we can win matches with very young players. Experience is also needed, but the young players played very well with the ball. If we make better decisions in the final third, we could score more—we need to improve on that.”
The former Bayern Munich striker also explained why it was important to respond to Valencia’s opener quickly:
“They scored a goal against us, but it was important to equalize quickly so we could go into halftime with a draw. Then we came out better and took the lead.”
Lastly, he also highlighted his own and the team’s goals for the coming days:
“My goal is always to score; it’s good for my confidence. Putting that aside, we’ve taken the first step, but next week we have three matches. Winning them would be important for the standings to secure those nine points.”
Starting the league campaign with a double against Valencia at Mestalla is a good sign, and with this performance hopes among Barcelona fans will be high that Lewandowski can get back to his best version this season. It remains to be seen whether this will be the case, but Flick’s appointment can definitely give a fillip to the Pole’s performances this season.
