Veteran striker says win was “so important” after Real Madrid’s slip
Barcelona striker Lewandowski is delighted by his connection with Marcus Rashford, and the striker’s ability to locate him at the right moment in the box.
Rashford assisted two of Lewandowski’s goals in the up-and-down 4-2 win over Celta Vigo that allowed Barcelona to move within three points of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga on Sunday.
The first was an in-swinger that the veteran striker met at the perfect moment in the six-yard box to put Hansi Flick’s side 2-1 up in the first half. The second was a corner delivery in the second half that Lewandowski headed in to put the game beyond Celta at 4-2.
Asked about his connection with the England international, Lewandowski said: “I love this kind of ball that I got from Marcus in the first half, because always when I’m in the box, if I can get some ball I can try to do something.
“I think we did very well and Marcus also he sees a lot. Sometimes you don’t have to run a lot or dribble so many players if you see where the space is and think that we can use this.”
Lewandowski was starting for Barcelona for the first time in over a month after recovering from injury, and he marked the occasion with a hat-trick. The Poland international said the team were aware of the importance of the result after Madrid’s draw earlier in the day.
“We knew if we win today, we would cut the gap to three points,” said Lewandowski. “It was one of the craziest games of this season, especially in the first half. But I’m very happy because we won a very difficult game.
“After what happened at Rayo, we said this was so important to come back in the race. This type of game helps us and gives us more power for the next games.”
Barcelona’s defence line was a worry as it was exposed once again in an open first half at Balaidos. But manager Hansi Flick defended the system and said he was shutting out criticism from pundits and former players.
“I always think to say something about the experts, former players and coaches, but no, I will not do it,” said Flick. “I’ll give you too many things to speak about and it’s too much noise.
“For me, the most important thing is that the players have confidence and belief in what we’re doing, and the second half is a good example of how we want to play.”
Barcelona led early through Lewandowski’s penalty, only for Celta to equalise almost instantly via Sergio Carreira. The Pole restored the advantage from Rashford’s cross before Borja Iglesias levelled again with a curling finish.
Teenager Lamine Yamal put Barcelona 3-2 ahead before half-time, and Lewandowski completed his hat-trick in a second half where Celta didn’t score.
“In the first half we made more mistakes and they used them, but I liked how we controlled the game,” said Flick. “In the second half we defended much better. It gives us confidence for the next games. When you can make pressure on the opponent, it’s a good way. I like what I saw.”
