Hansi Flick’s plan to rotate Barcelona’s top-scorer working very well | OneFootball

At 36 years of age, Robert Lewandowski is past the stage of his career where he can start games week in and week out. Keeping the Polish striker in his best physical fitness works out in favour of the team and Hansi Flick has shown great understanding of the same.

The German tactician started Lewandowski on the bench against Valencia last night as part of the same effort – to control the striker’s minutes – and it is safe to say that the team did not face any difficulty in his absence.

Curiously, moreover, Barcelona have scored 17 goals in the three games Lewandowski has started on the bench.

The manager’s idea

With no direct replacement in the squad for the Polish player, Flick has been forced to swap his system every time he decides to rest Lewandowski and SPORT brings to light his plan for the same.

Lewandowski was benched vs Valencia but scored after coming on. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The team’s recent clash against Real Betis proved that Dani Olmo as a false-nine can create as much goal-scoring threat in the talisman’s absence and thus placed it as a reliable option when Lewy is rested.

Given that Olmo himself was injured last night, the manager showed that even Ferran Torres is a reliable substitute for the forward and can provide a threat in the final third.

As the weeks pass, Flick is making it clear that the bench is nothing but an extended starting lineup for him as that rotations will be more fluid in the coming games.

At such a juncture, it is crucial that he has options in the striker department.

So far this season, the veteran has scored 17 goals in 20 La Liga appearances and also has nine goals to his name in the UEFA Champions League. Flick and Barcelona will require him to be at his best for the business end of the season.