Since Hansi-Dieter Flick took over at Bayern in November 2019 they have looked unstoppable. In 64 matches, Die Roten have won 54, drawing six and losing just four times. As well as winning an historic treble, Flick has got Robert Lewandowski firing on all cylinders.
In 2019/20, the Polish international scored a career best 34 goals in 31 league games. In fact, under the German coach, Lewandowski has a staggering 61 goals and 19 assists in 55 matches. This averages out to a direct goal involvement every 60 minutes but how has he done it?
Fitness plays a huge part. In 10 full Bundesliga seasons, his longest spell out injured was four weeks. This has allowed him to score 259 goals in 338 games in the German topflight, averaging out to 0.77 goals per appearance.
Many thought his hot streak under Hansi Flick would come to an end but by the end of last season he was averaging 1.02 xG from 4.5 shots per 90 as well as 0.24 xA from 1.2 key passes per 90. This shows he is more than just a goal scorer.
This is no surprise as Pep Guardiola described the former Dortmund star as one of the most professional players he’s ever met. It is largely down to his diet which is made by his wife, Anna Lewandowska, a nutritionist and karate champion. This allowed him to work uncharacteristically hard for the side as in 2020/21 so far he has completed 152 tackles in just 17 league appearances according to the Bundesliga.
He has also become a lot smarter and played to his strengths. He is getting himself into better areas as 41% of his touches came in the opposition’s box during 2019/20. This is also highlighted in his shot location as in 2013/14, 22.9% of his shots came from outside of the penalty area whilst last campaign it was down at 13.3%.
However, being dominant domestically is not enough to be the best player anymore and Lewandowski has shown himself on the continent. During their treble winning campaign under Flick, the former Lech Poznan star bagged 15 goals and five assists in 10 appearances as they claimed the Champions League for the first time since 2013.
With the 2020/21 season being affected by the coronavirus pandemic, most top players have seen a dip in their stats. However, despite this and being robbed of the Ballon d’Or for 2020, Robert Lewandowski has continued to perform at an elite level.
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