Robert Lewandowski celebrates his goal during the 57th Joan Gamper Trophy friendly match between FC Barcelona and Club Universidad Nacional Pumas at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on August 7, 2022. (Photo by Adria Puig/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Lewandowski scores as Barcelona rout Pumas
Barcelona players celebrate their third goal during Sunday’s Joan Gamper Trophy match against Liga MX side Pumas UNAM at Spotify Camp Nou. Barça won 6-0. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
Robert Lewandowski scored his first goal as a Barcelona player as the Catalan side won 6-0 against Pumas in the Joan Gamper Trophy match on Sunday.
The Polish striker was involved in the action early as it only took two minutes for him to find the back of the net. It was a nice finish as well as he was inside the box in a very tight angle but managed to find enough space to squeeze it past a Pumas defender.
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He provided the assist for Pedri’s goal only two minutes later. Ousmane Dembele also got in on the festivities as he scored the team’s third goal in less than 10 minutes. Nine minutes later, Pedri would get his brace thanks to another pass from Lewandowski.
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Barcelona went into the break up 4-0 with the 83,000 in attendance thrilled by what they saw from their new signings and the team as a whole.
The second half came with plenty of changes including the unofficial debut of Jules Kounde. But the goals didn’t stop as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the fifth just four minutes into the second half.
Frenkie de Jong, who was whistled by some during the introductions, scored the sixth and final goal late in the game. The Dutch midfielder had a good game all things considered and is giving the club a good headache in terms of figuring out his future.
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It was Lewandowski who commanded the most attention and anticipation. He received the loudest cheers and the Camp Nou erupted when he scored his first goal. It was an all-around performances for him as he was also named the Man of the Match.
The game was a glorified friendly, meaning no one should take too many conclusions away from the match. One that could be taken away is the depth Xavi will have this season. It’s not only the quantity but the quality as well. Ferran Torres and Andreas Christensen missed out due to injury but their spots were well-covered. Miralem Pjanic, who is set to stay, ended up an unused substitute.
The Joan Gamper Trophy is Barcelona’s unofficial start of the season and given the new signings, expectations are high. With the pending arrival of Marcos Alonso, this Barcelona team looks well-equipped to have an actual chance of winning La Liga and making a deep run in the Champions League.
