After a devastating 4-0 defeat by Real Madrid in the cup, FC Barcelona are held to a 0-0 draw by FC Girona in the Spanish league. One of the culprits is quickly identified for the press: ex-Bayern star Robert Lewandowski.
Almost 60 percent possession of the ball, 18:5 shots on goal, 12:2 corners and still only 0:0: Leaders FC Barcelona surprisingly lost feathers in the Spanish league against FC Girona (11th). The biggest weakness was once again the offensive around ex-Bayern star Robert Lewandowski, who, like his colleagues, remained pale and came under criticism after the game.
After the Pole missed his first chance early in the game, his actions were “nothing but desperation”, the “AS” judged the performance of the striker, who scored only four goals in the last twelve league games.
The “Mundo Deportivo” also saw a Lewandowski, who “disappeared over the minutes until he was completely cut off”. The ex-Munich native “didn’t control the ball or the game”, criticized the newspaper, which agreed with “Sport”, which gave the 34-year-old only four out of ten possible points in its rating.
“The Pole continues to take no part in the game and has much less influence than in the first third of the season,” wrote the Catalan sports daily of the striker’s appearance, whose ‘decline’ continues ‘continuing’.
Ex-Bayern star waves the Spanish championship
Meanwhile, Barca coach Xavi did not want to pin Lewandowski as the sole culprit. In his eyes, the entire team has remained offensively below their potential. “We have to criticize ourselves. We paid for the lack of effectiveness. We lacked the brilliance to make the difference,” lamented the coach.
The only consolation for Barca on an otherwise dreary evening: After 28 of 38 matchdays, the team still have a comfortable lead over pursuers Real Madrid. After 0-0, the cushion is 13 points. The first championship since 2019 can only theoretically be taken away from the club.