For the most part, Poland’s 3-0 victory over Andorra was a routine day in the office of superhuman goal machines Robert Lewandowski.
With less than an hour on the clock, he had already helped himself to a brace. The first was a mishit volley from a free kick, while his second was taken in a more clinical way. But a few minutes later he would be forced off in what could prove to be one of the most significant moments of Bayern Munich’s season.
Lewandowski has been in great shape again this season Pool / Getty Images
Shortly after the Andorra game, it was reported that the 32-year-old would not participate in Poland’s World Cup qualifier against England on Wednesday and deprive football media everywhere of a Lewandowski vs Harry Kane social graphic.
The prognosis then got worse when it was confirmed on Tuesday that Lewandowski had strained ligaments in his knee and ruled him out for four weeks. This means that he will miss Bayern’s important Bundesliga match against second place RB Leipzig on Saturday, as well as tricky meetings against Union Berlin, Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen.
Crucially, Lewandowski will also be in the stands for both sides in the Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain. A replay of last year’s final, this injury to their star man, means that the advantage is now with Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
Robert Lewandowski is doing everything he can to continue playing at the highest level for at least a few more years. ? pic.twitter.com/FfXiyXr1Kt
– 90min (@ 90min_Football) 13 May 2020
It is difficult to overstate the importance of Lewandowski. For the past two seasons, he has been a freak of nature in front of goal and made a worrying degree of regularity. He has all kinds of finishes in his repertoire and even the best defenses in the world have not managed to stop this ruthless goalkeeper.
Poland have scored 35 times in 25 Bundesliga matches this season, only shy of half of Bayern’s total goals. After 25 games, Thomas Muller is the only other player in the squad to have come in double figures and Lewandowski has more goals than Muller, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, Leon Goretzka, Jamal Musiala and Kingsley Coman combined.
He has also been a close presence since Flick took over Die Roten in November 2019. Since the first game, a 4-0 Der Klassiker victory against Borussia Dortmund where he grabbed a stay, Lewandowski has only missed seven match competitions.
You know, if I were Bayern Munich I would be pretty pissed and maybe even worried that Robert Lewandowski was injured https://t.co/z2g5JwIvpb pic.twitter.com/ZGtE968jJD
– James Benge (@jamesbenge) March 30, 2021
Throughout this time, he has also been the guy for Flick. While the boss deserves huge credit for the job he has done since taking over at the Allianz Arena, his tactical tweaks have had little effect on Lewandowski surpassing his xG by a ridiculous 10.1 this season. Only a world-class finisher does its thing.
What is particularly worrying about Lewandowski’s upcoming absence is that his likely replacement, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, is anything but world-class. Ironically, signed from PSG during the summer, he has increased in each of his teammate’s three absences this season and only done once.
Flick can choose to move one of their wide forwards centrally or move Muller to striker, but that seems unlikely. Unbelievably then, Choupo-Moting looks set to re-emerge on the biggest football scene, less than three years after tasting the Premier League relegation with Stoke City.
Choupo-Moting has been a player in Bayern this season Pool / Getty Images
It is difficult to think of a major downgrade of world football and it can not come at a worse time for Bayern. PSG and their Bundesliga rivals are licking their lips while waiting to injure Europe’s best dogs some injuries over the next four weeks.
