Farewell to Robert Lewandowski? This evening could be historic

In the first clash of both teams in the British Isles, the Spanish champions unexpectedly had huge problems with finding a way to defeat their opponents. What’s more, throughout the entire match, Newcastle’s players were definitely closer to success, and they lost a goal to make it 1-1 in the last action of the match.

Lamine Yamal scored the equalizer for Barcelona. The star of the Spanish champions confidently took advantage of the penalty kick, which coach Hansi Flick’s team won with a throw on the tape, silenced the stands of the St. James’ Park.

Champions League: Will this be Robert Lewandowski’s farewell?

Therefore, it is difficult to assume that Barcelona will outperform their rivals in the second leg on home soil. The Spanish champions will certainly be the favorites in the rematch on Wednesday (March 18), but Newcastle’s players have their arguments for a big surprise. Or maybe even a sensation, because the possible elimination of the Pride of Catalonia team from the Champions League should be considered as such.

Robert Lewandowski started the first match of the 1/8 finals. The Pole has to wear a special face mask due to an eye socket injury. The Pole did not shine in Newcastle and there are questions as to whether “Lewy” will be given a chance to play by coach Flick in the rematch.

Alternatives? Ferran Torres, although the Spaniard is also far from brilliant. Interestingly, in the Spanish and Catalan media there are also variants with Dani Olmo playing the role of the most advanced player in the offensive. However, such an assumption is treated as the last probable one.

It is worth recalling that Lewandowski scored as many as 107 goals in the Champions League and is the third best scorer in the history of the competition – behind the second-placed Leo Messi (129) and the leader Cristiano Ronaldo (141). It is worth noting, however, that the Argentine played 163 matches in the most prestigious UEFA club competitions, and the Portuguese as many as 187 matches. For comparison, RL9 played 141 times in the Champions League. This statistic additionally shows what scale of effectiveness we are talking about in the case of the Pole.

Lewandowski won the Champions League in the 2019/20 season with Bayern Munich. Last season, together with Barcelona, ​​he reached the semi-finals, where Inter in Milan was better on aggregate.

If Barca fails to eliminate Newcastle, it may even be… Lewandowski’s farewell to the Champions League. The future of RL9 in Barcelona is still uncertain, and the Pole’s contract expires in June 2026. It is difficult to say at this point whether the Polish striker – if he moves out of Catalonia – will find a place in the team that will play in the Champions League. Although, it is worth adding, the probability of RL9 remaining in Barcelona increased slightly after Joan Laporta won the election as club president again. The Barca boss is a strong supporter of continuing cooperation with the Pole.

The FC Barcelona – Newcastle United match will start on Wednesday, late afternoon, at 6:45 p.m. Broadcast on Canal+ Extra 1 and via the Canal+ Online online platform – when purchasing an appropriate package with LM broadcasts.