Former Barcelona veteran lights up MLS with a brace in his home debut | OneFootball

After four special years at Camp Nou, Robert Lewandowski had to bid an emotional goodbye to Barcelona fans at the end of last season.

The veteran forward had scored as many as 120 goals during his time at Barcelona. But after four years, he ended up joining Major League Soccer outfit Chicago Fire.

It hasn’t taken Lewandowski long to acclimatize to conditions in the US either, having already starred in his home debut for Chicago Fire.

Lewandowski lights up the MLS

It was a dream home debut for Lewandowski. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)

The Poland international enjoyed a dream home debut for the Fire, scoring twice, including the winner, as Chicago beat Charlotte FC 2-1 on Saturday.

Lewandowski equalised in the 20th minute with a stunning strike from outside the box, before sealing the win in the 68th minute with a composed finish into the bottom-left corner.

It was a statement performance from the striker, who had made his debut off the bench in a 3-1 defeat to New York City FC the previous week.

The brace helped Chicago claim a valuable three points in front of their home fans for the first time in over two months, and offered an early glimpse of the quality Lewandowski still possesses despite his advancing years.

Barcelona’s life without Lewandowski

Alvarez remains the desired option to replace Lewandowski. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

Back in Catalonia, Barcelona are still grappling with how best to fill the void left by the prolific Pole.

Julian Alvarez remains the club’s primary target, but the pursuit has been anything but smooth. Atletico Madrid have been firm in their refusal to sell their star man to a direct rival, leaving Barcelona’s €100 million offer stuck in limbo despite Alvarez himself having pushed for a move.

To complicate matters further, Ferran Torres is reportedly keen on a switch to PSG, with Barcelona unwilling to enter a bidding war or improve their renewal terms to keep him.

Should the Spaniard depart, the club would be left dangerously light in attack.

Perhaps most concerning for supporters is the growing sense that Barcelona may not sign a striker at all if the Alvarez deal collapses.

With alternatives like Eli Junior Kroupi ruled out through injury and the club reluctant to overspend in a difficult market, Flick could be left relying on Ferran, Dani Olmo and Raphinha through the middle.