As Bayern Munich face daunting Real Madrid task, Robert Lewandowski’s return offers a timely boost
Robert Lewandowski would start for Bayern Munich against Real Madrid. (Source: AP) Robert Lewandowski would start for Bayern Munich against Real Madrid. (Source: AP)
For any club manager the sight of facing a lethal goal-poacher like Robert Lewandowski is a daunting task. And with a majority of his defenders out due to injury, Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane would have a major cause for worry as Lewandowski returns from a brief shoulder injury spell, which saw him miss the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final in which Real Madrid beat Bayern Munich 2-1 at the Allianz Arena.
But how important exactly is the Polish international to the German champions?
For starters, Lewandowski has scored 38 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions this year. He has also scored 26 goals in the league and is all set to touch the 30-goal mark yet again. For Bayern Munich, he continues to be the sole striker in the entire squad. And without him, manager Carlo Ancelotti’s options as an out-and-out centre forward are close to none. Last week, when Bayern hosted Real, they were missing Lewandowski, who is the key link in the attack. For all the creative choices they have in their midfield in the likes of Thiago Alcantara, Xabi Alonso, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben, the end product is always delivered by Robert Lewandowski.
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On the other hand, Thomas Muller, who was playing as the sole striker against Real Madrid last week, has been a shadow of the player he was last year. Through the 2015/16 season, Muller scored 28 goals in all competitions. This year he has evidently struggled for goals, scoring just seven goals in similar number of games. Muller as an alternative to Lewandowski upfront has not worked for Carlo Ancelotti, as he has evidently shown a lack of confidence, which was apparent in the display against Real Madrid in which he cut an isolated figure. With Lewandowski out, the athleticism, tenacity and the efficiency up front was duly missing.
With Real Madrid facing their own defensive worries, there are concerns for Bayern Munich manager Carlo Ancelotti as well with regards to the defence. Both Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels missed the Bundesliga clash against Bayer Leverkusen, and Bayern are yet not confirmed regarding the participation of either of them in the second leg against Real Madrid. On top of that, the third choice centre-back Javier Martinez is suspended following his red card in the first leg.
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In such a situation, the news of Robert Lewandowski’s return is music to Ancelotti’s ears. Lewandowski is evidently one of the top five strikers in the world and with Real Madrid lacking numbers in defence, the Bayern Munich manager would opt for an all-out attacking strategy against his former employers. Yet, more than anyone else it would be Carlo Ancelotti who would know the ability that Real Madrid possess. Three years ago when he led Real Madrid to their tenth European crown, he beat his current side by an emphatic 5-0 aggregate win. He would be wary of Real Madrid’s attacking threat. But with Lewandowski back in his team, he would most certainly be more confident of a massive turnaround.
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