"A natural leader and a born worker" - Xavi hails 'extraordinary' Barcelona superstar after 4-0 Real Valladolid win
Robert Lewandowski had an incredible outing with Barcelona on Sunday, August 28. He scored twice to lead the Catalan giants to an emphatic 4-0 triumph over Real Valladolid at Camp Nou.
Following the Poland striker's performance, Blagrana manager Xavi Hernandez couldn't stop singing his praises.
It took Robert Lewandowski just 24 minutes to get his name on the scoresheet and put his team on the front foot. He scored again shortly after the restart to increase their advantage to 3-0 after Pedri had added a second just before half-time.
Sergi Roberto scored the final goal of the game deep in stoppage time to secure a 4-0 victory for the Catalan giants.
FULL TIME!!!! 🔥
#BarçaValladolid https://t.co/goG8fwxJqk
Speaking after the game, Xavi hailed Lewandowski as an extraordinary player, praising his leadership qualities, hard-working spirit, and overall contribution on either half of the pitch.
“Lewandowski is a natural goalscorer, but he also helps us a lot in defence,” the Barcelona manager told reporters, as quoted by The National News.
“We all know what Lewandowski can do. He’s a striker of the highest caliber. He is an extraordinary player, a natural leader and a born worker. He is an example for the squad."
It has been a dream start to life for Robert Lewandowski since joining Barca from Bayern Munich this summer. The Polish forward is currently the joint-top scorer in La Liga alongside Real Betis striker Borja Iglesias, with four goals and two assists to his name in three appearances.
Beyond the goals and assists, the 34-year-old's adjustment to the team is also deserving of plaudits. He has blended in with the group seamlessly like he has been around for a long time and Xavi couldn't help but laud his adaptation.
“Lewandowski is adaptable," the tactician continued.
"He helps his colleagues and even helps us as the technical staff. It’s great to have him with us. Apart from the goals, I want to highlight Lewandowski’s timing. He has the ball and protects it often.”
What's next for Barcelona?
Following their 4-0 victory over Real Valladolid, Barcelona will continue their La Liga campaign with a clash with Sevilla next weekend. They will then kick-start their Champions League campaign by welcoming Viktoria Plzen to Camp Nou next Tuesday.
All eyes will be on Xavi and his men to keep delivering positive results as the season progresses following a heavy reinforcement project this summer. It remains to be seen how the side performs in the long run.