“We are a weak team that can be defeated with enough intensity and enthusiasm.” It is Lionel Messi’s brutal assessment of this existing Barcelona when they gave up their merit in La Liga after the restart of football and saw Real Madrid take his crown.
As the master and his teammates returned to the song of the 3-1 victory in the round leg of their last 16 Champions League matches against Naples, those words – told on Spanish television after an embarrassing defeat at home to Osasuna. at the age of 10, he remains concerned before the quarter-finals with Bayern Munich.
German giants aim for their hat-trick in the moment after crushing their national rivals. They won all eight Champions League games this season. And his demolition of Chelsea on Saturday is a surprising example of its quality.
Unlike a Napoli who had disappeared from the force before the confinement, this Bayern will bring intensity and enthusiasm to these quarter-finals. On Friday night, at Lisbon’s Luz Stadium, Barca will face an intimidating test.
Bayern will also arrive in Portugal with Robert Lewandowski in mid-flight. The Polish striker has proven his prestige as one of the top scorers of the fashion era this season, placing 53 times in 44 appearances in all competitions.
While he’s in the bayern, his leader will be the one who fears Barcelona.
Chelsea’s defence is well documented and Lewandowski has reveled in that weakness, scoring three times and recording four assists in Frank Lampard’s 7-1 goal.
With this show of strength, Lewandowski has become the first player in 15 years to record more than 3 goals and 3 assists in a Champions League draw, but given that he has scored in his seven appearances at this festival and leads the way with thirteen goals in total. – Chelsea is not the first to feel their strength at European level this season.
Surprisingly, his return of a purpose every 47 minutes in the 2019/20 edition means he has the most productive hit rate of any player in history for a Season of European Cup/Champions League without getting married (minimum 500 minutes).
Barcelona has the return of Sergio Busquets, in the past suspended, for him and how they will want them to cut the line of origin of the Bayern star, who will undoubtedly have the central Gerard Piqué and Clement Lenglet facing restless nights on the eve of the match. Contest.
Lewandowski’s elegance to purpose is not new, of course. He has scored more purposes than any foreign player in Bundesliga history and has averaged 29 league purposes consistent with the season over the more than five seasons. But there is despite all the momentum behind the crusade to recognize this quality amid the massive numbers published through Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The cancellation of this season’s Ballon d’Or may be cruelly scheduled for Lewandowski, who would have been in a good position to win messi’s prestigious six-time winner.
The Barcelona player takes his place in the corner on Friday night for this tempting clash between European superpowers and goal stars.
Messi’s prodigious quality remains, of that there is no doubt. His sumptuous finish and his penalty win over Naples were a reminder of how he can still lead this blue team to victory.
And while his 25 goals in 33 La Liga appearances this season were less than the 36 goals in 34 appearances he made in 2018/19, he is still a smart enough comeback to win a seventh La Liga golden boot. There were also 21 assists.
But his Champions League record for this crusade is only 3 goals in seven appearances, he is on his way to his lowest comeback since 2006/07 when he was only 20 years old, and has not been one of his wonderful seasons, as a whole. or individually.
This blue-big team led by Quique Setién is far from the strength it had a few seasons ago, with an inconsistency that undermines its search for the name of LaLiga and a beloved solo triumph record against the rest of the 4 most sensitive Spaniards of this season putting a question mark on their ability. to deliver when his little magician doesn’t.
With a direct participation in more than 53% of the goals of the Barcelona league this season, Messi remains the player chosen by Barcelona. And the burden you must meet on Friday night is clear.
If he is unable to fit into the grades that Lewandowski will probably bring, a Champions League will be played and a season without trophies will be in play, just the moment of Messi’s career season in which he has not. some form of primary cutlery.
It is a scenario that can hardly be Barcelona with Messi that is now 33 years old, without contract in 2021 and, for the first time, faced genuine doubts about what its next step will be.
Come Friday night, however, you will concentrate only on these Champions League quarter-finals. But will your team be “weak” to gather the strength to see the strength of Lewandoski and Bayern Munich?