Lewandowski missed the big battle with Real
"Lewandowski has a strain on his left hamstring. He cannot train and the recovery process will determine his ability to return," Barca homepage announced on the morning of February 27, Madrid time.
A day earlier, the Polish striker played in a 0-1 loss at Almeria in round 23 of La Liga. But he lacked a touch of the ball 33 times, passed with 94% accuracy, passed a decisive pass, lost the ball six times and missed on target all four.
Before Lewandowski, Ousmane Dembele and Pedri suffered long-term injuries and were certainly absent from the El Clasico match on March 2. Xavi's remaining options in attack are Ferran Torres, Raphinha and Ansu Fati. In addition, he can push Gavi to the high stone like the Europa League play-off first leg against Man Utd or defeat Real 3-1 in the Spanish Super Cup final in January.
On the opposite side, Real will be without Ferland Mendy (muscle injury), Rodrygo (problem with left hip flexor) and David Alaba (hamstring injury). According to The Athletic, Carlo Ancelotti's teachers and students focus on the El Clasico match, so they will not attend the FIFA The Best award ceremony in Paris on February 27. Real only appointed director of institutional relations Emilio Butragueno and club ambassador Roberto Carlos to represent at the event.
Lewandowski missed three games in 2023 due to red cards and contempt for referee Gil Manzano in Barca's 2-1 La Liga win over Osasuna in November 2022. After receiving two yellow cards in the first half, the former Bayern star put his hand to his nose, held his head high and left the field. Barca won all three matches in which Lewandowski was absent, defeating Atletico, Getafe and Girona with a score of 1-0.
Lewandowski is Barca's top scorer this season, with 25 goals in 31 matches in all competitions, including 15 in La Liga, five in the Champions League, one in the Europa League, two in the Copa del Rey and two in the Super Spanish Cup. Therefore, the owner of the Camp Nou must pay Bayern an additional $ 1.25 million in surcharges. In July 2022, Barca reached an agreement to recruit Lewandowski from Bayern for a fee of 45 million USD. According to Mundo Deportivo, the La Liga representative also has to pay $ 1.25 million to Bayern if Lewandowski reaches 25 goals in official matches each season.
