Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski's hat-trick in Alaves win helps him match Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's La Liga record
Following their defeat to Osasuna, Barcelona bounced back with an impressive 3-0 victory over Deportivo Alaves on Sunday, October 6. At the center of their performance was Robert Lewandowski, who maintained his excellent form by scoring a hat-trick, while also matching a record held by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
La Blaugrana were on their game from the very first minute, with the Polish striker opening the scoring in the seventh minute from a free-kick taken by Raphinha. Just fifteen minutes later, Lewandowski doubled Barcelona's lead by capitalizing on Raphinha’s cross once again. He completed his hat-trick in the 32nd minute with a well-placed effort, which effectively ended the contest before half-time.
This hat-trick marked his first of the season and brought his tally to 10 goals in La Liga after just nine games. He became only the third player to score 10 or more goals within the opening 10 matches of the league over the last decade, following Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 16 in 2014 and Messi’s 11 in 2017.
The 36-year-old also set another record, achieving the fastest hat-trick by a Barcelona player in a La Liga match since October 2011, when Lionel Messi netted three goals against Mallorca in just 29 minutes. It was indeed a clinical afternoon for Lewandowski, who now has 12 goals in all competitions.
Lewandowski also scored twice in the mid-week Champions League match against Young Boys, bringing his total to 96 goals in the competition. He is ranked behind only Ronaldo (140) and Messi (129). However, he surpassed Ronaldo in terms of goals-per-game ratio in the Champions League, with both he and Messi standing at 0.79, while Ronaldo has an average of 0.77.
With this victory, Barcelona have now won eight of their opening nine games and currently sit three points ahead of Real Madrid, whom they will face on October 26.
Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski discusses the reason behind his form
Last season was undoubtedly difficult for Lewandowski, as he recorded his lowest goal tally since the 2014-15 season, scoring just 26 goals. However, the arrival of Hansi Flick seems to have turned his fortunes around, as he has already notched nearly half the total he achieved last campaign.
When discussing the reasons behind his improved form, the Polish striker noted that he is receiving more passes in dangerous positions. He added that Flick’s attacking approach aligns well with his playing style.
"I get good passes, so it’s easier to score goals. We played very well from the start, with a very offensive approach. If you score three in the first half, you can then play in the second half with more control," Lewandowski said.
“We’ve worked very well in pre-season. We have a very good group. With these players we can play better and everything we were missing before we have improved. It’s football. You have to play at 100%, no matter who you play against," he added (via Barca Blaugranes).
Following the international break, Barcelona will face Sevilla in La Liga, aiming to extend their lead in the table before two crucial matches. They'll first face Bayern Munich in the Champions League and then Real Madrid in El Clasico.