Barcelona’s head coach, Hans-Dieter Flick, talked about substituting Polish forward Robert Lewandowski during the fourth round Champions League match against Crvena Zvezda, which ended in a 5-2 victory.
Flick mentioned that he would have kept Lewandowki in the squad had he known that the player is on his 99th goal in the Champions League:
If I had known he was so close, I may not have substituted him. To be honest, I’m not overly concerned about that right now. He played brilliantly today. We need to concentrate on our next games, particularly the one in San Sebastián. I'm delighted with his contributions.
For context, Robert Lewandowski scored a double before being replaced by Barcelona academy graduate Pau Victor in the 78th minute.
Throughout his Champions League career, the Polish striker has netted 99 goals in 124 matches. In the current season, the 36-year-old Lewandowski has participated in four matches, scoring five goals. His current contract with the club runs until the summer of 2026.
As a result of this match, Barcelona have gained nine points, placing them sixth in the group stage standings. In their next round, the Catalans will face Stade Brestois at home on November 26.
Earlier, Hans-Dieter Flick praised Lewandowski as the best striker of the decade.
Besides, the Polish forward is currently the highest-paid player in the Catalan team.
