Lewandowski: Brace, MVP and Pichichi on a great day against Girona

FC Barcelona thrashed Girona in Montjuïc (4-1) on a great afternoon for Robert Lewandowski. The Polish player was the MVP of the match thanks to the brace he scored in the second half, a crucial contribution for Hansi Flick's team to secure their ninth consecutive victory in LaLiga. With this, the '9' has 25 goals in 28 matches played, where he has also provided several assists. 

The match had become complicated for Barça after the 1-1 equalizer scored by Danjuma in the 53rd minute. However, in the 61st minute, 'Lewy' restored the lead for the Catalans with a 'star' finish. The forward anticipated Gazzaniga with an acrobatic stretch, finishing in front of the Argentine goalkeeper from a cross delivered by Fermín López from the right.

16 minutes later, the Pichichi sealed the azulgrana victory with another remarkable finish, this time from the left after leaving a defender behind to set himself up and unleash a powerful shot. Frenkie de Jong was the one who assisted him this time. In total, 'Lewy' completed 4 shots on target out of 6 attempts. Although he wasn't precise with the ball (he missed 6 out of 14 passes), he fulfilled his role: being lethal inside the area.

Lewandowski puts Mbappé in his place in the Pichichi race

Thanks to his brace against Girona, Lewandowski distanced himself again from Kylian Mbappé in the LaLiga top scorers ranking, with 3 more goals than the '9' of Real Madrid. The Frenchman also scored a brace on Saturday in the controversial 'merengue' victory over Leganés, taking advantage of favorable refereeing errors for 'La Casa Blanca'. The Polish player also has 22 goals from open play and only 3 penalties, while 'Kiki' already has 6 penalties to his name.

For Robert, there are already 41 direct goal involvements in all competitions (42 matches) this season. The Warsaw native has returned to his best form under Hansi Flick, scoring 38 goals and providing 3 assists, more than any other player in Spanish football. Overall, the 36-year-old forward scores a goal every 86 minutes. Only Ferran (1 goal every 81') surpasses him in that statistic.

Lewandowski proud of Barça's reaction in the second half

After the match, the '9' praised Barça's thrashing, admitting that the team always had control of the game, although it took longer than expected to reflect their superiority on the scoreboard. "In the second half, we were more offensive and created more opportunities. We scored several goals and it's important because, if we can't score at the beginning, we have to be patient and stick to the plan," explained the '9' to 'DAZN'.

In that sense, Lewandowski made it clear that, beyond age, what matters is the attitude on and off the field to perform at the highest level. "Many people are talking about my age, but I know I am working as always. I want to play for a few more years at the top level. I feel very good physically. There is no difference between a few years ago and now in terms of stats," argued the Pole.

And regarding Barça's collective level, he also highlighted the team's ability to resolve matches decisively. "We know that until the end we will play at a high level. If we are focused like today, we are very dangerous. For me, as a forward, what is important is to have more confidence. If I am in the area or nearby, I know that if the ball comes to me, I have the goal in my mind," pointed out the azulgrana scorer.