FC Barcelona have made a brilliant start to the La Liga season, winning eight out of their first nine games. Despite the loss against Osasuna, Hansi Flick’s men have gotten past their opponents with ease, thanks to a large volume of goals scored by them.

One player who bags major credit for Barcelona’s efficiency in front of goal is Polish striker Robert Lewandowski. The 36-year-old veteran forward has rediscovered his best form after a couple of seasons where he struggled to put up the numbers one has grown to see from him.

With 12 goals from 11 games across all competitions since the start of the season, Lewandowski has overtaken Manchester City’s robotic superstar Erling Haaland and currently tops the European goalscoring charts.

Now, as per Mundo Deportivo, Robert Lewandowski trails only club legend Lionel Messi for most goals scored in La Liga after nine matchdays. The €15m-rated Pole currently has 10 goals from nine games which is eclipsed by the Argentinan maestro’s 11 after the same number of games back in the 2017-18 season.

Messi’s 11 goals were spread across just four games back then, with two against Alavés, three against Espanyol, four against Eibar, and another two against Las Palmas. On the other hand, Lewandowski has netted in six out of nine games.

It is interesting to note that Lewandowski is the only player who has come close to matching Lionel Messi’s start to a league season, which underscores how impressive Lewandowski’s numbers have been.

Another interesting statistic comparing the two players is that Messi hit the post five times in the 2017-18 season in the first nine games. Lewandowski on the other hand has hit the post four times. In a game where there is a margin of inches, had these shots turned out differently, these records could have a totally new outlook.

In his debut season with Barcelona, Lewandowski started strongly, scoring eight goals in his first nine La Liga games. He has gone passed that tally this season, hinting that this is the best version of him since his move from Bayern Munich.

At 36, Lewandowski continues to keep going strong and it is imperative that he keeps up the good form. His goalscoring is essential to guarantee success for Hansi Flick this season and let’s wait and see how he progresses through the course of the campaign.