Can Barcelona Continue to Shine Without Lewandowski?

Robert Lewandowski has picked up a hamstring injury in a crucial stage of the season. Barcelona are chasing La Liga and Champions League glory, but how will they fare without their talismanic striker?

Hansi Flick’s tactics have helped turn the Blaugrana front line into one of the most dangerous in Europe. Lewandowski has thrived in that attack, but now it’s time for Lamine Yamal and Raphinha to step up to the plate. Scott Thornton looks at how bettors can approach Barcelona’s remaining matches without their striker.

Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.

Barcelona’s Attack Still Capable of Achieving Treble Dream

Barcelona have a lead at the top of La Liga and are in the semi-finals of the Champions League. Their success has largely been down to just how deadly they have been in front of goal, but an injury to Robert Lewandowski presents a new challenge.

The Polish striker is the top scorer in the Spanish top flight with 25 goals in 31 appearances. In the past 12 months, Lewandowski has scored an average of 0.82 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes played, meaning he ranks in the top 2% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues. Any team would miss a player of that quality, but Barcelona are well equipped to deal with his absence. Robert has scored 28.1% of the team’s league goals, meaning there is plenty of other firepower.

Barcelona have scored an average of 2.70 goals per game in La Liga this season, more than double the overall league average of 1.31 goals scored by a team in each game. Only Bayern Munich and PSG have scored more goals in Europe’s top five leagues. However, the Blaugrana are the most prolific team in the Champions League, netting an average of 3.08 goals per game, 0.58 more than Arsenal, who rank second in that regard.

BETSiE is still backing Barcelona to win the league in the wake of Lewandowski’s injury, but it makes them third favourites for the Champions League, behind PSG and Arsenal, with a 15.2% chance of winning the trophy. Barca are also set to square off against Real Madrid in the Copa Del Rey, so the treble is still a possibility.

Raphinha Has Earned the Limelight

Hansi Flick’s style has suited this Barcelona squad. He likes his teams to be aggressive with and without the ball. Barca have the lowest PPDA (passes allowed per defensive action) allowed in La Liga with 6.70, highlighting just how keen the players are to win the ball high up the pitch. This approach has helped the team create the highest xG (expected goals) in the division with 87.48. Flick’s forwards are flourishing as a result.

Raphinha is enjoying his best season in a Barcelona shirt. There was talk of him leaving the club before Flick arrived but the Brazilian has proven that he is one of the most dangerous attacking players in Europe since linking up with the German. The former Premier League winger has directly contributed to more than 50 goals this season, a feat that no Barcelona player has achieved since Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar in the 2015/16 season when the club won the treble under Luis Enrique.

Punters can get behind the in-form wide man by backing him to top-score the Champions League. He currently has 12 goals, one less than Serhou Guirassy, who has been eliminated from the competition. Robert Lewandowski and Harry Kane are the only other players who have reached the 10-goal mark in Europe’s elite club competition. Kane won’t be adding to his tally with Bayern out in the quarter finals, and it’s unlikely Lewandowski will return before the season ends. This has cleared the path for Raphinha to claim the prize.

Raphinha has four goals in four games in the knockout stages of the Champions League thus far. His 12 goals and seven assists mean he has made the most direct goal contributions in the tournament. With Lewandowski out, the focus will be on his scoring prowess, so the odds of 1.90 for him to be the top scorer appeal.

Enough Firepower to Hurt Los Blancos

Barcelona took on Mallorca in their first game without Lewandowski, and it’s safe to say they created an abundance of chances. The Balaugrana racked up a total of 40 shots and had 78% possession. They won 1-0 but finished the game with an xG of 3.45. Flick will want his side to be more clinical in the weeks to come, but the performance showed that there will be no lack of cutting edge without Robert spearheading the attack.

The cup final clash with Real Madrid is up next for Barcelona. They have already beaten Los Blancos on two occasions this season, scoring nine goals in the process. Therefore, we are backing them to win the cup in normal time on Saturday.

There is widespread talk that this will be Carlo Ancelotti’s last season at the Santiago Bernabeu. His team were dumped out of the Champions League by Arsenal in emphatic fashion. They are also off the pace in La Liga ahead of their midweek trip to Getafe. Los Blancos head into the match having lost four of their las six matches across all competitions. With the team struggling to find their rhythm, a final against Barcelona is the last thing they need.

Lewandowski has scored three goals in the two matches against Real Madrid so far in this campaign. However, other players have also terrorised Ancelotti’s defence. Lamine Yamal has scored in both of the meetings with Real and is set to have an impact once again.

Yamal opened the scoring in January’s Super Cup meeting with Real. The wonderkid made five successful dribbles and had 42 touches as he wreaked havoc for the 59 minutes he played. Yamal failed to get on the scoresheet in Barcelona’s midweek triumph over Mallorca but he did have a whopping 10 shots. The winger finished the game with an xG of 0.82. His willingness to shoot in Lewandowski’s absence, which should serve him well as the Blaugrana gear up to face Real Madrid.

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