Barcelona
Barcelona beats Elche 3-0, Lewandowski strikes twice
Robert Lewandowski shook off his disappointing return to Bayern Munich by scoring twice to lead Barcelona to a 3-0 victory at home over 10-man Elche in the Spanish league on Saturday.
They were Lewandowski’s seventh and eighth goals in a five-round scoring streak and took his overall tally to 11 in eight games since he transferred to Barcelona from Bayern this summer.
The easy win came after Xavi Hernández’s side suffered its only loss of the season at Bayern by 2-0 in the Champions League this week. Lewandowski missed some clear chances against the team he helped lead for eight seasons before coming to Camp Nou.
Barcelona moved to the top of the league standings at one point above Real Madrid before the defending champion plays a derby at Atlético Madrid on Sunday. Athletic Bilbao continued its strong start under Ernesto Valverde with a 3-2 win over Rayo Vallecano to move into third at three points off Barcelona's pace.
Elche was left with a hole in its backline in the 15th minute when defender Gonzalo Verdu pulled Lewandowski down when the striker was in position to latch onto a pass that would have left him all alone in the area. The referee didn’t hesitate in sending off Verdu with a direct red since he was the last defender.
Verdu, who was making his season debut after recovering from injury, recognized that his sending off hurt his team’s already tough task of facing Barcelona at their stadium.
“I hadn’t played in a long time due to injury, and to come here and start … I was very excited, but in the 15th everything went wrong. I stumbled with the striker, the ball was free in a space where he could reach it,” Verdu said. “I assume the responsibility for the result and for my team having to make a tremendous effort.”
Lewandowski opened the scoring in the 33rd when he tapped in a cross from 18-year-old left back Alejandro Balde.
Memphis Depay doubled the lead in the 41st when he received a pass from Balde, spun around his marker and fired home.
Lewandowski made it a double three minutes after halftime when he finished off a dangerous cross by Ousmane Dembélé.
Balde, who has assisted on three goals this season, has clearly won the starting job over veteran Jordi Alba, who appears to be third in the pecking order at left back, also behind new arrival Marcos Alonso. Balde has started five straight league games, while Alonso played well at Bayern.
“I am constantly surprised by what an 18-year-old can do at this level," Xavi said. "He is in great shape and gives us a lot.”
WILLIAMS BROS
Iñaki Williams and younger brother Nico Williams, who was called up by Spain this week, both scored in Atheltic's entertaining win at home over a Rayo that led 2-1.
Rayo’s second goal was superbly struck by substitute Radamel Falcao, who used the side of his boot to redirect a cross while fending off Bilbao’s Iñigo Martínez.
Ander Herrera started his second stint at Bilbao eight years after first leaving the club for Manchester United. He returned, at age 33, on loan from Paris Saint-Germain.
CAVANI DEBUTS
Valencia rolled to 3-0 over 10-man Celta Vigo in the subdued debut of Edinson Cavani.
The veteran Uruguay striker, bought off the transfer market, trained for the past three weeks to get into playing shape. The 35-year-old Cavani wants to play for Uruguay in the World Cup in November.
“I was excited to finally live this moment, to run on the field, to feel the atmosphere,” said Cavani, who was substituted in the 72nd. “This is the first step.”
Also, Mallorca edged Almería 1-0 for its first home win.
Bayern Munich vs Barcelona 2022: Match preview, lineups, predictions, where to watch
The reigning German Bundesliga champions FC Bayern Munich will host Spanish giants FC Barcelona on Tuesday (September 13) at the Allianz Arena for a Champions League group stage match. Bayern Munich’s recent success against Barcelona has made them favourites for the clash. However, the Blaugrana are a more competitive team this season than they were in the last couple of seasons. The Bayern Munich vs Barcelona 2022 group C match preview is discussed in this article.
Bayern Munich vs Barcelona Match Preview 2022
Bayern Munich and Barcelona are two of the most successful Champions League teams in history. Bayern have won six UCL titles, while Barcelona have clinched five. Bayern have the advantage in a head-to-head battle. The Bavarians have nine victories over the Blaugrana in 13 meetings.
On the other hand, Barcelona have only two victories and the remaining two matches ended in draws. Bayern Munich, understandably, have the advantage in terms of goal scoring. They have netted 32 times in Barcelona’s goalposts while conceding 16.
Read Premier League pays tribute to Queen, postpones weekend's fixtures
In Tuesday’s contest, the lineups of the two sides will be much different than their latest meeting in December 2021. Lewandowski transferred from Bayern Munich to Barcelona in this summer's window. The Spanish giants also included some quality footballers in their squad, which has helped Xavi to properly implement his game plan on the pitch. On the other hand, Bayern Munich replaced Lewandowski with Liverpool’s Sadio Mane. Besides, Julian Nagelsmann has made some adjustments in his system with Mane playing the lone striker role.
Barcelona’s head coach, Xavi Hernandez, is likely to implement a 4-3-3 system where the Polish goal machine, Robert Lewandowski, will play the main hitman role. There will be Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha to assist Lewandowski upfront. The defenders have a bigger duty in this match to stop Bayern’s attacking players in the match. It will be interesting to see whether they have the capability to stop Bayern’s attacking players in the contest.
Bayern Munich’s Julian Nagelsmann has tried to formulate his game plan for this season with the versatile offensive player Sadio Mane. The Bayern coach might deploy a 4-2-3-1 system which will allow Thomas Muller to remain close to Sadio Mane to provide regular assists. The host will likely play a bit cautiously to not allow Lewandowski a slight chance to find the back of the net.
Read UEFA Champions League 2022-2023: UCL Group Stage Predictions
Bayern Munich vs Barcelona 2022: Lineups
Two important players for Bayern Munich, Kingsley Coman and Bouna Sarr, will miss the contest due to injury. But Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez are most likely to be back in the starting lineup for the hosts.
Bayern Munich (Predicted Starting XI)
GK: Manuel Neuer;
Defenders: Benjamin Pavard, Matthijs de Ligt, Lucas Hernandez, Joshua Kimmich;
Midfielders: Alphonso Davies, Marcel Sabitzer; Serge Gnabry, Thomas Muller, Leroy Sane;
Forward: Sadio Mane
There is no major injury concern in Barcelona’s squad. Sergio Roberto has been included in the 25-member squad who missed out on playing the Cadiz match due to a muscular problem. Therefore, Xavi has no issue selecting players for this big contest.
Barcelona (Predicted Starting XI)
GK: Marc-Andre ter Stegen;
Defenders: Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Eric Garcia, Jordi Alba,
Midfielders: Gavi, Sergio Busquets, Pedri;
Forwards: Raphinha, Lewandowski, Dembele
Prediction: Bayern Munich 2 – 2 Barcelona.
Read Barça newcomers lead 3-0 win at Sevilla, Madrid beats Betis
Where to watch Bayern Munich vs Barcelona, Group C match of UCL 2022-2023?
Football fans in India and the subcontinent can watch the group C match between Bayern Munich and Barcelona on the Sony TV network. Besides, the match can be seen on the Sony Liv app and website. The match will start on Wednesday at 1 a.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time).
Bottom Line
The Bayern Munich vs Barcelona 2022 UEFA Champions League encounter would be more thrilling to watch than it was the previous year. Because a lot of changes were made in the squads of both the teams during the summer transfer window of 2022, Barcelona’s hitman, Robert Lewandowski, knows a lot about his former club, Bayern Munich, and its players' weaknesses and strengths. This may aid Barcelona in properly executing their game plan on the field. Bayern Munich, on the other hand, is always good at coming up with novel solutions. Therefore, overcoming the host Bayern in this contest won’t be easy for Barcelona.
Read Mbappé scores twice in PSG win but Vitinha injured
Barça newcomers lead 3-0 win at Sevilla, Madrid beats Betis
Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Koundé showed why Barcelona mortgaged part of its future for them by producing goals in a commanding 3-0 win at Sevilla in the Spanish league on Saturday.
Lewandowski made it five goals in four appearances since moving from Bayern Munich, ex-Leeds winger Raphinha scored his first for Barcelona, and Koundé provided two assists against his former club to secure a third straight win.
Barcelona climbed into second place, two points behind Real Madrid, which ended Real Betis’ perfect start to the league after beating Seville’s other club 2-1 in Spain's capital.
Read:Lewandowski leads Barcelona; Benzema keeps Madrid perfect
Barcelona turned the momentum from the 18th minute when Gavi Páez launched Ousmane Dembélé on a counterattack. The forward, a constant menace to Sevilla, played Lewandowski clear for him to chip the ball over goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Fernando cleared it off his line but it fell to Raphinha to nod home.
Lewandowski, who has failed to score only in his debut, doubled the lead when he controlled a long ball from Koundé with his chest, and without letting it touch the ground, swept it past Bounou with his right foot.
Éric García added a third goal in the 51st when Koundé generously headed down a cross by Raphinha for his fellow defender to tap in.
Only Bounou stopped Lewandowski from recording a third brace in a row.
All told, this was why manager Xavi Hernández urged Barcelona president Joan Laporta to do whatever he must to give him the talent to renew a team whose decline was accelerated by Lionel Messi’s departure last year. Heavily indebted, Barcelona sold off part of its future television rights and other assets to sign the trio for 160 million euros.
Xavi praised 18-year-old Gavi for his tackling in midfield, and Lewandowski.
“It’s not only the goals, but how he wins high balls; he is a wonderful outlet. And how he commands our pressure to recover the ball. He is a fantastic player with his sense of timing,” Xavi said about the Poland striker. “He is helping us a lot with his leadership, with the things you don’t see when you watch the game, how he helps the staff and his teammates. It is amazing to have him on the team.”
Read:Mbappé scores twice in PSG win but Vitinha injured
Sevilla, which finished fourth last season, remained winless with one draw and three defeats. Julen Lopetegui's team next faces Manchester City in the Champions League opening round on Tuesday.
MADRID'S BRAZILIANS
Young Brazilian forwards Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo proved the difference for Madrid again in a meeting of the top two teams through the first month.
Madrid made it four wins in as many matches, while Betis was left three points behind in third place.
Carlo Ancelotti moved into third place on Madrid’s list of coaches with the most career victories. With 133 wins, he trails only Miguel Muñoz (357) and Zinedine Zidane (172).
Before kickoff, Madrid’s players presented the Champions League trophy and the recently won UEFA Super Cup to their fans in their first home game of the season. The club played the first three rounds on the road as it continues renovation work on Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
Betis hadn’t lost at Madrid in five seasons, winning two and drawing three while not conceding a goal at the powerhouse. But that drought was broken after just nine minutes.
Madrid starts its defense of its European title on Tuesday against Celtic in Glasgow.
SCORING DEBUT
Sadiq Umar scored five minutes into his debut for Real Sociedad to draw with Atlético Madrid 1-1.
Sadiq went on at halftime and soon showed his prowess in the area when he jumped over his marker to head in a cross by fellow newcomer Mohamed-Ali Cho. Sadiq almost scored another but it was waived off for offside.
Álvaro Morata opened the scoring early when he pushed in a rebound off the post from a corner kick by Yannick Carrasco. It was his third goal since returning from a one-season loan at Juventus.
Sociedad paid Almería a club record 20 million euros ($19.9 million) for Sadiq to replace Aleksander Isak, who joined Newcastle on a record sale for Sociedad of 70 million euros ($69 million).
Atlético lost goalkeeper Jan Oblak apparently to a knock in the final minutes.
Elsewhere, Girona's Samuel Sainz converted a penalty in stoppage time in a 1-1 draw at Mallorca.
Lewandowski leads Barcelona; Benzema keeps Madrid perfect
With a defender moving in front of him and blocking his view inside the area, Robert Lewandowski stayed calm.
The veteran striker patiently waited for a gap, then quickly used his backheel to gently send the ball into the far corner for a beautiful goal.
Lewandowski continues to make scoring look easy after joining Barcelona from Bayern Munich. Barcelona's top signing this season found the net twice on Sunday to lead the Catalan club to a 4-0 rout of Valladolid in the Spanish league.
Real Madrid relied on Karim Benzema, its trustworthy striker for years, to maintain a perfect start with its third straight away victory. Benzema scored in the 88th minute and deep into stoppage time to give the defending champion a 3-1 win at Espanyol.
It was the third league goal for Benzema, while Lewandowski took his tally to four. The Poland striker had also scored a double in the 4-1 victory at Real Sociedad last weekend. He was also twice denied by the woodwork at the Camp Nou on Sunday.
“He is extraordinary," Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández said of Lewandowski. "He is a natural leader who has been helping us greatly.”
Pedri González and Sergi Roberto also scored for Barcelona, which had opened with a disappointing 0-0 draw against Rayo Vallecano at home.
The 34-year-old Lewandowski, signed from Bayern for nearly $50 million, got on the board in the 24th by completing a nice pass by Raphinha, another one of Barcelona new signings who has been playing well.
Pedri added to the lead in the 43rd from near the penalty spot after an assist by Ousmane Dembélé, who also set up Lewandowski's superb backheel goal in the 64th. Roberto closed the scoring in stoppage time.
“We knew what kind of player we had signed,” newly signed Barcelona defender Jules Koundé said of Lewandowski. “He is a top striker and he shows it with his goals and with how he helps the team.”
Barcelona finally could count on Koundé, who had not been registered ahead of the first two rounds because the club wasn't able to abide with the league’s fair play regulations. The former Sevilla defender started in the right back position and impressed in his debut.
Valladolid, owned by former Brazil and Barcelona great Ronaldo, is back in the first division after a one-year absence. It was coming off a home loss against Villarreal and a draw at Sevilla.
Read:PSG drops points after 1-1 draw with Monaco; Marseille wins
MADRID STAYS PERFECT
Madrid was a few minutes away from losing its perfect record when Benzema came through with two late goals against Espanyol.
Madrid was far from its best but Benzema helped to salvage the win with a nice close-range touch to complete a well-placed cross by Rodrygo. Benzema than easily converted a free kick after Espanyol defender Leandro Cabrera had to play in goal because goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte was sent off and all substitutions had been made.
Vinícius Júnior had put Madrid ahead in the 12th and Joselu equalized for the hosts in the 43rd.
It was the third match in a row on the road for Madrid, which asked to start away from home because of renovation work at its Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. The team will be back at the venue for its match against Real Betis on Saturday.
Madrid beat Almería and Celta Vigo in its first two games. Espanyol stayed winless after having drawn at Celta before losing to Rayo Vallecano at home.
VILLARREAL HELD
Villarreal ended its perfect record with a 0-0 draw at Getafe, which was yet to win a point this season.
Unai Emery's Villarreal had most of the scoring chances. A penalty kick in its favor deep into stoppage time was reversed after video review.
Getafe had conceded three goals in each of its first two matches.
Cádiz was the only other team without a point entering the weekend. It will have a chance to end its losing streak when it hosts unbeaten Athletic Bilbao on Monday.
FAN VIOLENCE
Police had to intervene after a confrontation between fans of second division clubs Racing Santander and Oviedo on Sunday.
Authorities said the fans threw rocks and other objects at each other.
There were no reports of injuries or arrests.
Oviedo won the match 1-0 in Santander.
New-look Barcelona held 0-0 by Rayo in Lewandowski's debut
Barcelona mortgaged its financial future to give Xavi Hernández the talent he wanted.
But Rayo Vallecano showed Xavi he still has work to do to forge a winning team after his new-look Barcelona was held to a 0-0 draw on Saturday in their Spanish league opener.
The modest club from Madrid frustrated Robert Lewandowski and his fellow Barcelona newcomers by defending well and producing the most dangerous scoring threats. As the minutes ticked by, the energy drained from the 81,000-strong Camp Nou crowd that had turned out to cheer the team that was only made possible by the constroversial decision by club president Joan Laporta to sell off television rights and other assets in exchange for some much needed cash.
The biggest applause Lewandowski heard from the crowd was to show their appreciation for his hustle on defense late in the match with Barcelona stymied in attack. The closest the former Bayern Munich star went to scoring was a header flicked well over the bar in the first half.
Fittingly, given its poor finish to the match, Barcelona ended with 10 men after Sergio Busquets got a second booking in stoppage time when he swung his arm into the face of Rayo substitute Radamel Falcao. Busquets’ explusion will rule him out of Barcelona’s visit to Real Sociedad. Falcao then had what looked to be a winner waived away for offside as Rayo went close to claiming a third straight win over Barcelona after it stunned the Catalan club twice last season.
“It is too bad because we wanted to show our fans that we are on the right path,” Xavi said. “We had generated a lot of expectations, but this is just the beginning. Today is disappointing for every Barcelona supporter, but we have to keep our faith in this way of playing as being the right one to win titles.”
Lewandowski, winger Raphinha and defender Andreas Christensen, who also joined Barcelona this summer, all made Xavi's starting 11. The three players along with fellow newcomer Franck Kessié and the recently re-signed Ousmane Dembélé and Sergi Roberto were only declared eligible to play by the Spanish league on Friday after Barcelona sold yet another stake in its in-house production company to improve its troubled financial balance.
The delicate state of Barcelona’s finances meant that it was unable to register Jules Koundé, its top defensive signing, in time for the season opener.
Xavi had said the demands placed on him and his team were higher this season because of the effort the club had made to give him a lot more talent after Barcelona won nothing last campaign following the exit of Lionel Messi.
But Xavi still has a way to go to create a team as well-honed as Andoni Iraola's Rayo, which for a third meeting in a row held Barcelona without a goal. Iraola’s team, led by midfielders midfielders Isi Palazón and Óscar Trejo, erased all the passing lanes for Lewandowski. Barcelona was unable to find the answer through Raphinha and Dembélé, who both wasted the one good chance they each got.
Read: Barcelona sells more assets as it hopes to register players
Barcelona’s best chance came from late substitute Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, whose goal-bound shot was saved by defender Alejandro Catena in the 85th.
Previously, Barcelona had needed goalie Marc-Andre Ter Stegen to keep the game scoreless.
Ter Stegen closed out quickly to block Álvaro García’s point-blank shot after the forward had streaked away down the left flank and cut back past the sliding Ronald Araújo just before halftime.
Barcelona had another scare early in the second half when Sergio Camello pounced on a ball lost by Araújo. Again Ter Stegen came to the rescue, forcing Camello into taking a shot from a narrow angle that trickled just past the far post.
“My team played tense and with nerves. I had tried to tell them that the pressure was on me,” Xavi said. “But Rayo played well and closed off our passing game. They executed their game plan.”
Iraola, a former Athletic Bilbao player who has impressed as a coach, said his team played well enough to claim another victory at Camp Nou.
“I think we played a great match. I am not satisfied because we wanted a win. It is too bad we couldn’t take the three points,” he said. “Maybe they had more chances, but we had three or four clear opportunities. I am happy for the effort of my team and for having neutralized a great rival.”
OTHER RESULTS
Álex Baena scored a double as Villarreal eased to a 3-0 win at newly promoted Valladolid.
Nicolas Jackson scored his first topflight goal in the 50th. Baena slotted a second goal in the 82nd before he struck an exquisite shot from outside the area in the 90th.
Joselu Mato converted a penalty deep in stoppage time to complete Espanyol’s fightback to secure a 2-2 draw at Celta Vigo.
Joselu, teammate Edu Expósito, and Celta's Goncalo Paciencia all scored goals in debuts for their teams. It was also the debut for Espanyol coach Diego Martínez, who returned to coaching after a one-year hiatus following his successful stint at Granada.
The league season kicked off on Friday with Osasuna beating Sevilla 2-1.
Barcelona sells more assets as it hopes to register players
Barcelona has sold off even more of its club assets in the hopes of meeting the Spanish league’s financial rules so Robert Lewandowski and its other signings can play in the season opener.
Barcelona said Friday that it had agreed to sell 24.5% of its Barça Studios production hub to Orpheus Media in a deal that would earn it 100 million euros ($103 million).
Last month Barcelona sold an initial 25% stake in its production hub to Socios.com, a blockchain provider, for another 100 million euros as well as 25% of its Spanish league television rights for the next 25 years for nearly 670 million euros ($689 million).
All told, the heavily indebted Catalan club has mortgaged its future for 870 million euros ($895 million) in order to sign Lewandowski from Bayern Munich along with other talented newcomers.
Regarding the sale of nearly 50% of its production hub, Barcelona said in a statement that “with this investment the strategic partners in Barça Studios show confidence in the value of the project and the future of digital content in the world of sport.”
It also comes with Barcelona yet to register its new signings with the Spanish league. Barcelona opens the season on Saturday at home against Rayo Vallecano.
Thanks to the money it has made by selling its assets, Barcelona has been able to strengthen its squad by signing Lewandowski, winger Raphinha and defender Jules Koundé for a combined 160 million euros ($165 million).
But the Spanish league has strict financial requirements that limit the amount clubs can spend on players’ salaries and transfers based on the clubs’ financial health. Despite efforts to reduce costs and pay down its debt, Barcelona still holds 1 billion euros ($1 billion) in debt and has seen its salary cap slashed by the league in recent seasons.
So, as of Friday morning, it had not registered Lewandowski, Raphinha, Koundé, free agent arrivals Franck Kessié and Andreas Christensen, or Ousmane Dembélé and Sergi Roberto, who both signed new contracts recently after their old ones had expired and so are considered new signings by the league.
Read: Barcelona sells part of its production hub for $102M
This new injection of another 100 million euros should help Barcelona’s financial balance that it presents to the league and increase its chances of being able to register all those players.
The club is also pushing to sell players such as Samuel Umtiti and Martin Braithwaite that are either unwanted by coach Xavi Hernández or have big salaries like Frenkie de Jong.
Teams have until the end of the month to register new players if they want to play in the Spanish league this season. Real Betis is also still waiting to register several players.
Barcelona club president Joan Laporta said recently that he was confident that his club will be able to field its latest acquisitions.
But it would be yet another blow to Barcelona’s reputation if its star signings are not able to play at Camp Nou on Saturday.
Orpheus Media is run by Catalan businessman Jaume Roures, the owner of Mediapro, a major television company involved in Spanish soccer but whose 2020 broadcast rights deal for the French league collapsed. Roures was a major financial backer of Laporta when he returned to run the financially troubled club in 2021.
Roures said on Friday that he was not sure if the money he paid Barcelona would be sufficient.
“The league won’t have any problems with this operation,” Roures told Cadena SER radio. “If the 100 million euros are enough, I don’t know. If it isn’t, the (necessary) amount must be close to that.”
Barcelona sells part of its production hub for $102M
Barcelona has sold part of its production hub for 100 million euros ($102 million) to boost its finances in a bid to use its newly signed players right away.
Club president Joan Laporta announced Monday the club sold a 25% stake of Barça Studios to Socios.com, a blockchain provider in the sports and entertainment business.
The club said the sale will “accelerate” the club’s strategies related to audiovisual, blockchain and online products.
The money should also allow Barcelona to meet Spanish league financial requirements and sign the players it has acquired recently, including Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Koundé, who was officially introduced on Monday.
The club spent more than 160 million euros ($163 million) on the three players, becoming Europe’s leading spender in the offseason despite being mired in financial difficulties until recently.
Laporta has been criticized for burdening the club’s future with its current tactics to find new cash. Barcelona had already sold 25% of its Spanish league TV rights for the next 25 years for 667 million euros ($682 million).
Read: Messi, Neymar score in 4-0 win as PSG wins Champions Trophy
“The risk is under control,” Laporta said. “We need to save the club and have the possibility of bringing in new players.”
The mismanagement blamed on previous president Josep Bartomeu, combined with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, left the club with a debt of more than 1.3 billion euros ($1.3 billion).
The team struggled on the field as well, failing to win a major title last season after not being able to hold on to Lionel Messi.
France defender Koundé, who had also been sought after by Chelsea, praised Barcelona’s new approach to keep thriving.
“I chose Barça because it’s clear to me that the club has a very ambitious project,” the former Sevilla player said.
Barcelona will make its Spanish league debut on Aug. 13 against Rayo Vallecano.
Barcelona set to sign striker Lewandowski from Bayern Munich
Barcelona is set to sign Poland striker Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich in a bold move by the debt-ridden club to acquire a world-class scorer who can finally help fill the void a year after Lionel Messi’s exit last summer.
The two European clubs have reached an agreement in principle for Lewandowski’s move to Camp Nou, Bayern president Herbert Hainer said Saturday.
“We have come to a verbal agreement with Barcelona. It’s good to have clarity for all parties,” Hainer said on Bayern’s official Twitter account. “Robert is an incredible player and he won everything with us. We are incredibly grateful to him.”
Spanish media reports that the transfer would cost Barcelona some 50 million euros ($50.4 million).
The 33-year-old Lewandowski, one of soccer’s most prolific scorers of the past decade, would greatly boost Barcelona’s chances of rebuilding a competitive team after winning nothing last season following the departure of Messi, its all-time top scorer.
Lewandowski scored 312 goals in 384 Bundesliga games for Bayern and previous club Borussia Dortmund. He hit 35 goals in 34 appearances last season to become the Bundesliga’s leading scorer for the seventh time overall. Barcelona’s top scorers were Memphis Depay and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with 13 goals each last campaign.
Barcelona also gets a proven winner. Lewandowski helped Bayern win the 2020 Champions League, after it humiliated Barcelona 8-2 in the quarterfinals. He also scooped up 10 Bundesliga titles, four German Cups, and a Club World Cup with the Bavarian powerhouse.
Only the dominance of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has likely stopped Lewandowski from receiving more individual accolades.
Read: Barça reaches deal with Man U for reluctant De Jong
But Lewandowski said in late May that “my story with Bayern Munich is over” after contract extension talks with Bayern broke down. He had one more season left on his contact with Bayern.
He will now join a team coached by Xavi Hernández that relied on Aubameyang and Ferran Torres for its goals after they joined last winter as Depay was injured and lost his starting job as striker. He will have Spain’s young and gifted midfielders Pedri González and Gavi Páez to set him up.
Barcelona is mired in debt mostly due to the huge transfer fees and salaries paid out by its previous president and board. In order to make signings this summer, current president Joan Laporta had to sell 10% of the team’s Spanish league television rights for the next 25 years in exchange for 207.5 million euros ($207.5 million).
That infusion of cash also helped it secure the transfer of Brazil winger Raphinha and sign Ousmane Dembélé to a new contract last week as its hopes to challenge Spanish and European champion Real Madrid in the upcoming season. Local media said Barcelona agreed to play Leeds nearly 60 million euros ($60 million) plus add-ons for the 25-year-old Raphinha.
Now, with a veteran like Lewandowski soon to be on board, the club is clearly betting on winning titles again in the short term. Last season, Barcelona finished a distant second in Spain to Madrid and failed to advance beyond the Champions League group phase.
To compensate the spending, Barcelona said this week that it had reached an agreement with Manchester United to potentially send Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong the Premier League club for 75 million euros ($75 million) plus another possible 10 million euros in variables. That move, however, would have to be approved by De Jong, who has no interest in leaving Barcelona according to media reports.
The sale allows Bayern to cash in on a player turning 34 next month who would have become a free agent next year and had made clear his desire to leave.
Read: Dembélé signs new contract with Barcelona through 2024
If the fee is confirmed, it would be a club-record sale fee for Bayern, exceeding the 40 million euros ($40.3 million) the German champion received from Juventus for Douglas Costa in 2018.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is Bayern’s typical backup for Lewandowski but rarely starts, while other forwards like Sadio Mané, Leroy Sané, Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry are primarily wide players.
So replacing a player who was Bundesliga top scorer for each of the last five seasons — and who set the league record of 41 goals in 2020-21 -- will be no easy task.
Dembélé signs new contract with Barcelona through 2024
Ousmane Dembélé has agreed to sign a new contract with Barcelona through June 2024.
The deal on Thursday comes a day after club president Joan Laporta said Dembélé would stay on during the presentation of new signing Raphinha.
Dembélé, now 25, joined Barcelona in 2017 on a then club-record transfer from Borussia Dortmund that with variables was set to reach 147 million euros (then $173 million) as the club sought a young talent after the unwanted exit of Neymar.
Read: Barcelona reaches deal to sign Raphinha; Dembélé staying
After suffering serious injuries early in his stay at Barcelona, Dembélé consolidated himself as one of its most irreplaceable players thanks to his speed and playmaking.
The new contract concludes a drawn-out negotiation between player and club that appeared to have broken down in January when Dembélé rejected Barcelona's renewal offer, prompting the club to tell his agent to find the France winger a new club.
Dembélé continued to play well for coach Xavi Hernández and remained one of his most used players.
But with his contract expiring this summer, it appeared he would leave. Dembélé was linked to possible moves to England’s Premier League or to Paris Saint-Germain, the team of Neymar and former Barcelona great Lionel Messi. Now he will be considered one of Xavi’s pillars as the coach tries to build a winning side following a season without a title.
Also read: Barcelona edges Sevilla to move into 2nd in Spanish league
The forward has 32 goals and assisted on 34 more in 150 appearances for Barcelona.
As usual, Barcelona did not make his salary public. It is reported Dembélé had one of the highest wages on the squad under his previous contract. Barcelona has successfully convinced several players to take a wage cut as it tries to reduce its enormous debt.
Barcelona reaches deal to sign Raphinha; Dembélé staying
Barcelona announced Wednesday it has reached a deal to sign Leeds playmaker Raphinha and will also keep France forward Ousmane Dembélé at the club.
The agreement to sign Brazil international Raphinha was pending the 25-year-old winger passing a medical. Leeds also confirmed it had reached an agreement in principle with Barcelona.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta also said the club is keeping Dembélé, who is expected to have his contract extended until the end of 2024. Dembélé performed well this past season after refusing to leave on a loan.
Read: Barcelona stuns Madrid 4-0 at Bernabéu to end losing streak
Laporta did not answer questions on whether Barcelona was still trying to sign Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich. Laporta said recently that Barcelona had made an offer for the striker.
The Catalan club has been recovering after enduring a dire financial situation prompted by the pandemic with past club officials also blamed for poor administration.
Financial details of the Raphinha transfer were not immediately disclosed, but local media said Barcelona would pay nearly 60 million euros ($60 million) plus add-ons.
Barcelona called Raphinha a player who is “excellent in one on ones, with taking on defenders a key part of his game.” It called him a “difference-maker.”
Raphinha made his debut with Brazil's national team last year and is set to make the squad for the World Cup in Qatar later this year.
Read: Barcelona edges Sevilla to move into 2nd in Spanish league
Raphinha moved from Brazil to Europe early in his career, joining Portuguese club Vitória Guimarães before moving to Sporting Lisbon for 6.5 million euros in 2018.
He went to Rennes for 21 million euros in 2019, then joined Leeds a year later and quickly became a key player in Marcelo Bielsa's squad.
TRINCÃO TO SPORTING
Barcelona said it sent Portuguese forward Francisco Trincão on a one-year loan deal to Sporting Lisbon. The deal includes an option for Sporting to keep the 22-year-old player.
Trincão joined Barcelona from Braga in 2020 but struggled to make an impact, scoring three goals and earning two assists in 42 matches before being loaned to Wolverhampton last season.