Fresh off an outstanding season with Bayern Munich, Robert Lewandowski now turns his attention to the upcoming Euro 2016 in France.
The Polish international will lead his team as one of the best strikers in the competition. The 27-year-old finished as the top scorer in qualifying with 13 goals, a European Championship record that he shares with David Healy of Northern Ireland (UEFA Euro 2008).
Role in the team
There is very little doubt that Lewnadowski is Poland’s most important player going into the tournament. Also the captain of the side, the striker will know the weight on his shoulders will be heavy and expectations will be high.
His attacking instinct, sense of positioning and lethal finishing abilities make him one of the best hitmen in modern day football. A strong aerial presence that would bother even the best defenders, Lewandowski is undoubtedly the man to watch for when it comes to hitting the net in the tournament.
READ MORE: Euro 2016 – Poland coach spotlight – Adam Nawałka
Recent form
The Bayern Munich star has a very impressive scoring record both domestically and internationally, netting 42 goals in 51 appearances for the German Champions this season. It has been a highly successful season for the Pole, who achieved an incredible feat of scoring five goals in nine minutes against Wolfsburg after coming on as a substitute in the second-half, while also finishing as the Bundesliga top scorer (30 goals).
While he has been on song for his club in nearly every game, Lewandowski has also been putting in the shifts for his country. In 2015, he appeared seven times for Biało-czerwoni and scored an outstanding 11 goals.
Despite narrowly missing out on reaching the Champions League final, Lewandowski and Bayern Munich still finished with another Bundesliga crown, while also lifting the DFB-Pokal in the process. Pep Guardiola, who will depart Bayern Munich for Manchester City in the summer break, described his star striker as ‘the most Professional footballer’ that he has ever met. A fitting description of the player Lewandowski is, from arguably the best manager in football today.
RECORD: Robert Lewandowski is the first non-German player in history to score 30 Bundesliga goals in a season. pic.twitter.com/wRlWGJaWIx
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) May 14, 2016
Conclusion
It is only the third time that Poland have qualified for the Euros, meaning Lewandowski and company will be raring to challenge on the biggest stage in European football. Can Poland’s prolific striker help his country to their first ever knockout stage in European Competitions? As the final preparations are under way before the teams head for France.
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