Robert Lewandowski's goal against Manchester United cost Barcelona €1.25M because of a special clause - Reports

Barcelona are obliged to pay Bayern Munich €1.5 million after Robert Lewandowski scored against Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday (February 23).

The Polish ace struck at Old Trafford from the spot although the Blaugrana lost the game 2-1 as the Red Devils fought back in the second half. Fred and Antony struck in the second half to send United into the Round of 16, helping seal a 4-3 aggregate win.

Meanwhile, Barcelona's European campaign came to a premature end once again and now they will have to pay Bayern, the team that knocked them out of the top two in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.

12 - Robert Lewandowski has scored 25 goals in 30 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona this season, the 12th successive campaign in which he's netted 25+ goals at club level. Marksman. https://t.co/LOvGHfmbZX

That's because Lewandowski has hit the 25-goal mark for the season with his latest goal. There's a clause in his contract that says that Barcelona will have to pay them €1.5 million for every season he scores a minimum of 25 goals.

The striker was signed for €45 million from the Bavarians last summer, but it can increase to €50 million over the next five years should Lewandowski score at least 25 goals in all of them.

🚨 Barcelona has to pay Bayern €1.25M, as Lewandowski’s now scored 25 goals this season. This was a variable added in the deal. @CatalunyaRadio #Transfers 💰 twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

He's been relentless for the Spanish giants since arriving, scoring goals galore to play a key role in their push for a first La Liga title in four years.

With 15 top-flight goals in the bag, the 34-year-old is also leading the race for the Pichichi trophy, the top-scorer award of the division.

Barcelona can focus on winning La Liga after European heartbreak

For the second season in a row, Barcelona went out in the first round of the UEFA Champions League to drop into the Europa League, only to get eliminated from that competition as well.

However, on the bright side, the Blaugrana can now focus on winning La Liga, where they hold a healthy eight-point advantage over reigning champions Real Madrid.

Xavi's team are on an incredible run of form in the league, winning their last seven games and unbeaten in 13 since a 3-1 loss to Real Madrid in the El Clasico in October.

Speaking of the Clasico, Barcelona are also set to face Real Madrid twice in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey, another trophy in their sights after beating Los Blancos in the Spanish Supercup final.

Barcelona return to action on Sunday (February 26) against Almeria in the league.