BAYERN MUNICH
ARE THEY TOO RELIANT ON ROBERT
LEWANDOWSKI?
Bayern’s hopes of substantial Champions
League progress will depend to a large
extent on the powers of recovery of their
peerless Polish striker.
Having scored an incredible 30 goals
for Bayern in the first half of the season,
including 10 in the Champions League,
the 31-year-old underwent a minor groin
operation during the winter break and
will be hoping to return as good as
new. But momentum can be a delicate
business in any sport and any break,
intermission or change of circumstanceUEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Knockout stage
can throw a spanner in the works.
Lewandowski did not travel to Bayern’s
mid-term training camp in Doha, wisely
continuing his rehab in the Bavarian
capital, and Bayern are confident he will
soon be fit and raring to go. Beset by an
abundance of injury woes at present – to
defenders Niklas Sule, Lucas Hernandez
and Javi Martinez, plus wingers Kingsley
Coman and Serge Gnabry – they would
truly be in the mire without the focal
point of their attack. They simply cannot
replace him.
No longer fixated by thoughts
of a switch to Real
Madrid, the Pole is
at the peak of hisgoalscoring powers, snapping up chances
with deadly aplomb and merrily breaking
records. The pick of his exploits this
term? At least one goal in each of
Bayern’s first 11 Bundesliga games
and the quickest four-goal burst in
Champions League history: a 15-
minute salvo in November’s 6-0
win against Red Star in Belgrade.
He recently became Bayern’s leading
Champions League marksman with 46
goals and now stands in fifth place in
the competition’s all-time list with 63.
However, it is fair to say that he has
Quick...Robert
Lewandowski makes
Red Star suffer
“For me, he is the world’s best
striker. As a number nine you have
to score goals – and he does that”
Bayern caretaker coach Hansi
Flick on Lewandowski