Following a sensational start to the campaign, Hansi Flick’s Barcelona appears to be entering a consolidation period, with the team dropping points in the last three league matches.
A key reason behind Barcelona’s downturn has been the absence of key individuals such as Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo, both of who did not the last game against Las Palmas.
In fact, core players missing from the starting eleven have been a common problem for Flick this season, which in turn, has impacted the team’s performance.
Lewandowski: An ever-present figure at Barcelona
However, at a time when key players have missed matches frequently, Robert Lewandowski is standing tall as an outlier of sorts.
Indeed, the Polish international is the only Barcelona player this season to have started in each of the team’s 20 games in all competitions this season.
This is quite surprising considering the fact that Lewandowski is already 36 and is in the final phase of his career.
Lewandowski has featured in every single game for Barcelona this season. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
But despite his age, the Pole has shown exceptional fitness levels, with no real signs of slowing down anytime soon.
In fact, Lewandowski has managed to eclipse his goalscoring record at Barcelona from the last two seasons, racking up as many as 22 goals in 20 matches.
This goalscoring record puts him on the list of best-performing strikers in Europe’s top five leagues, with Lewandowski joining an elite list comprising Ering Haaland, Harry Kane and others.
Lewandowski’s impressive record this season has even reportedly tempted Barcelona to delay their search for a new striker until 2026.
Moreover, the club have informed the veteran of their plans to extend his contract until 2026. The player, for his part, wants to keep playing at Barça, at least until 2027.