Barcelona forward hopeful to end 9-month Champions League goal drought against Slavia Prague | OneFootball

If there is one thing you associate immediately with Hansi Flick’s FC Barcelona, it is goals. The Catalan club scores them for fun in this hyper-attacking system, and the numbers since the German coach’s arrival have been off the charts.

Even a not-so-prolific player like Ferran Torres has seen his output increase many times over in a system that simply does not allow attackers to stagnate. Barcelona are a chance-creating machine, and the volume of goals is a consequence of this.

Thus, one of the most shocking stats, according to SPORT, is that Polish veteran Robert Lewandowski is yet to open his account in the Champions League this season. He has featured in five of the six games so far, either as a starter or a substitute.

Lewandowski last scored for Barcelona in this competition against Borussia Dortmund at Montjuic last season, when he netted a brace. For the third-leading goalscorer of all time in the competition, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, this is a major slump.

Yes, the Pole has seen his role diminish this campaign, often appearing as a substitute for Ferran, but considering he has scored ten goals across all competitions with limited minutes, it is surprising that not one of them has come in the Champions League.

However, Lewandowski has the opportunity to put this right against Slavia Prague. Ferran Torres is out injured with an estimated recovery of ten days, which rules him out of this game and makes him a doubt for Barcelona’s final League Phase fixture against Copenhagen.

One would not put it past the Pole to get at least one goal in these two games, although FC Barcelona would love more from him as they look to improve their goal difference and increase their chances of finishing in the top eight.