Robert Lewandowski is as near as possible to the perfect number nine and would be a deserving Ballon D’or winner.
Blessed with pace, power, and technique, he has been the dominant attacker in Europe all season. The man’s scoring record has been frankly ridiculous.
Scoring 56 goals in just 48 appearances in all competitions, he has conquered all before him this season. His partnership with Thomas Muller the bedrock of Bayern’s attack this season.
Too often decried for remaining in the Bundesliga, he has been Europe’s finest number 9 for years, since the decline of Luis Suarez. However, despite him deserving it, he won’t be claiming the Ballon Dor this year. The award has been cancelled for 2020 due to a “lack of fair conditions.”
While there may have been some consternation over Luka Modric claiming the prize, there surely wouldn’t be any opposition to Lewandowski. A leader for his side, he has been the Munich club’s talisman as they strode to the treble.
Played as the lone striker in Hansi Flick’s 4-2-3-1 he’s suited their style of play perfectly. Thomas Muller dovetails off him, providing the majority of the ammunition for him to capitalise on. Comfortable running in behind, or playing with his back to goal, he’s been vital to overcoming all varieties of opposition.
His season hasn’t been a fluke either. According to Understat, his expected goals per 90 ranks at 1.02, a truly absurd statistic. Lionel Messi’s, by contrast, stands at 0.65 while Cristiano Ronaldo’s stands at 0.85. What’s even more frightening for his rivals is that he has actually outperformed his expected goals at 1.11 per 90.
At the age of 32, the worry now for Bayern is how do you replace a player like him? Expecting a new striker to come in and replicate his record is simply impractical. Now a deserved winner of the treble, he’ll be almost impossible to replace.
