Xavi Hernandez looking to go back to basics in a bid to rectify Robert Lewandowski’s form

Pre-World Cup, Robert Lewandowski was undoubtedly one of the best strikers in world football. The Pole had a flying start to his Barcelona career, scoring 18 goals before the break.

However, his form has dropped significantly in 2023, and he has failed to reach the levels of the first half of the season, which is a concern for Barcelona. Ousmane Dembele’s absence has been an undoubted hindrance for Lewandowski, with the pair having linked up very well during their first months together.

Barcelona have all but secured the La Liga title, with Real Madrid’s defeat to Villarreal on Saturday meaning that they can go 15 points clear at the top of the table with victory over Girona on Monday. Despite there being not too much to play for, Xavi Hernandez wants to get his star striker back into form.

Diario AS report that Xavi’s plan to do this will involve moving away from his four midfielder system, in favour of Barcelona’s standard 4-3-3, which has been a staple at the club for many years.

Ansu Fati, Ferran Torres and Raphinha are the options available to Xavi for his tactic, and they will hope to supply Lewandowski as the Barcelona striker targets a return to form as soon as possible.