One of the names that has recently come under criticism towards FC Barcelona is that of the 36-year-old '9' culé, Robert Lewandowski. Why? From the Blaugrana fans, it seems they can't forgive him for two things: first, having gone three consecutive matches without scoring (in the UEFA Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund and the two LaLiga matches against CD Leganés and Atlético Madrid respectively), and of course, the impressions he is leaving on the field, where a combination of bad luck and incompetence has prevented him from scoring goals.

The Polish 'killer' is in the midst of a real goal drought, that's a fact. Something a striker of his caliber cannot afford, especially considering the high offensive ambitions of his club, being the top scorer for culés with 23 goals so far this season, 16 in LaLiga EA Sports and seven in the UEFA Champions League, leading the scoring charts in both tournaments.

'Lewy' started the 2024-25 LaLiga season like a 'train', but...

However, what is particularly striking about Lewandowski is that his statistics have significantly declined, especially in LaLiga EA Sports. This is not just talk, it is enough to look at 'Lewy's' numbers in the domestic tournament, where his goal-scoring streak unleashed in the first 11 league matches:

  • Two goals against Valencia CF (matchday 1)
  • One goal against Athletic Club (matchday 2)
  • One goal against Valladolid (matchday 4)
  • Two goals against Villarreal CF (matchday 6)
  • One goal against Getafe CF (matchday 7)
  • Three goals against Deportivo Alavés (matchday 9)
  • Two goals against Sevilla (matchday 10)
  • Two goals against Real Madrid (matchday 11)

However, from that point on, in the following eight matches that the culé team has played in LaLiga EA Sports, Lewandowski has only managed to score two goals, one against Celta de Vigo (matchday 14) and another against Real Betis (matchday 16).

The precedent that makes it clear that Lewandowski's 'slump' in LaLiga is completely normal

However, when reviewing the history of Robert Lewandowski with Barcelona, it can be seen that perhaps it is not so surprising that his goal-scoring statistics have decreased. The analysis focuses on the 2022-23 season, the first of 'Lewy' as a striker for the Blaugrana.

In that season, Robert Lewandowski started scoring at a relentless pace in LaLiga, with 13 goals in the first 12 matchdays:

  • Two against Real Sociedad (matchday 2)
  • Two against Real Valladolid (matchday 3)
  • One against Sevilla FC (matchday 4)
  • One against Cádiz CF (matchday 5)
  • Two against Elche (matchday 6)
  • One against RCD Mallorca (matchday 7)
  • Two against Villarreal CF (matchday 10)
  • One against Athletic Club (matchday 11)
  • One against Valencia CF (matchday 12)

However, he went three consecutive matchdays without scoring (matchdays 13, 14, and 15). He was absent on other occasions due to suspension (matchdays 16, 18, and 19), and it wasn't until matchday 17 that he found the back of the net again, then had another two matches without scoring (matchdays 20 and 21), scoring again on matchday 22, and going through another four matchdays without capitalizing on his goal-scoring prowess (matchdays 23, 24, 25, and 26), scoring in the 27th and then creating another streak of three games without finding the net (matchdays 28, 29, and 30).

It wasn't until that moment that 'Lewy' started scoring again at a relentless pace, scoring in matchdays 31 and 32, stopping in 33, but netting two goals in 34, one more in 35, and another in 36, ending his participation in LaLiga without shaking the net in matchdays 37 and 38 respectively.

Will Robert return to exhibit his best goal-scoring version with Barcelona?

With this in mind, Lewandowski's performance decline is not surprising for Barcelona. The question that arises is: will the striker be able to regain his unstoppable goal-scoring rhythm? At the moment, indications suggest so, and to achieve this, this December break will likely be crucial for his return in 2025 in optimal condition and to seek to recover his formidable scoring power, so essential for the Blaugrana team.