Robert Lewandowski has won the Pichichi in his first season at new club Barcelona after helping them win the La Liga title.
When a 33-year-old Lewandowski decided to leave his longtime club Bayern Munich to join a struggling Barca side, many called him an insane man. But the Polish striker proved why he was right to make the switch so late in his career.
He adapted to the team right from the start, scoring goals for fun. His efforts helped Barca climb to the top spot in the league and win two important trophies. All that in his debut season as well.
Robert Lewandowski stamps authority in Spain following accolades in Germany
Right from the start, Lewandowski started scoring as if he had playing there for a long time. He picked up his form from Germany where he was the top scorer in the league for five seasons straight.
Robert Lewandowski could not score against Celta Vigo in Barcelona’s final game of the season. But he still finished the season as the top scorer in La Liga.
Congratulations to Robert Lewandowski, the 2022-23 Pichichi Trophy winner!
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) June 4, 2023
ššššššššš pic.twitter.com/nqVztr6KnQ
The Pole leads the charts in his debut season in Spanish football, scoring 23 goals in 34 league appearances for Xavi’s team. He finished four goals ahead of previous Pichichi winner Karim Benzema and seven ahead of Espanyol’s Joselu. He did it in his debut season in Spain as well.
What is more impressive is that he did it without scoring a penalty. According to Barca Blaugranes, it is the first time a player has done so since Dani Guiza did in the 2007-08 season.
Robert Lewandowski wins the Pichichi Trophy with the most goals scored in LaLiga this season (23) š
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 4, 2023
His sixth-straight season as the top goalscorer in his respective league š¤Æ pic.twitter.com/EdhBygVRpl
The Pichichi win means Lewandowski has now won six straight top-scorer awards in two different countries.
Lewandowski has scored 33 goals in total for the Blaugranas. In addition to the 23 league goals, he has five UCL goals, two Copa Del Rey goals, two Supercopa goals, and one Europa League goal.
Barcelona star helped the club to end three-year drought for League
Robert Lewandowski’s goals weren’t just for him, as they also helped win Barcelona their first league title since 2019.
Before Lewandowski, Barcelona desperately needed a pure striker to help them score goals. The team was creating chances but struggling to finish them. After Luis Suarez left, Sergio Aguero was the only one who truly was a great striker but even he had to retire early.
It was at this tough time that Lewandowski arrived and scored the goals that put Barca in the top spot.
The La Liga title win is their 27th overall in history and their first since last winning in the 2018-19 campaign. The Blaugrana struggled in the last three seasons, with many issues like their financial situation and Lionel Messiās departure affecting them.
But, thanks to some clever summer additions like Lewandowski and the development of some incredibly gifted youngsters, Barcelona has developed into a good squad under former legendary midfielder Xavi Hernandez.
Lewandowski didn’t just help with goals. He also became a leader in the dressing room, forming great relationships with the squad. With a great winning mentality, he proved why he can be the main man of this team. His influence on and off the pitch massively boosted the team.
Lewandowski also helped Barca win the Spanish Super Cup where he also scored against Real Madrid in the final.
When the next season starts, Barca will be hoping that Lewandowski continues his great goalscoring form and win another Pichichi and league trophy.
