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sportsmole.co.uk, 24 April 2023, 07:58
Barcelona head coach Xavi has insisted that he has no concerns when it comes to Robert Lewandowski's recent struggles in finding the back of the net.

The 34-year-old has had a successful first season at Camp Nou following his arrival from Bayern Munich last summer, scoring 27 goals and registering seven assists in 38 appearances in all competitions.

However, the Poland international has not scored in his side's last four games, drawing blanks against Girona, Getafe and Atletico Madrid in La Liga, in addition to failing to register in the second leg of the team's Copa del Rey semi-final with Real Madrid at the start of the month.

Lewandowski has only actually scored twice in his last seven league outings, with the bulk of his goals in Spain's top flight coming in the first half of the campaign.

However, after drawing another blank against Atletico on Sunday, Xavi played down fears over his form, insisting that "the goals will come".

"He was successful in a large part of the season, now not so much, but the goals will come. All forwards want to score. Those who don't score are sad, it's the life of a forward," Xavi told reporters.

"He's the top scorer in the league with 17 goals, imagine How will the others be?"

Ferran Torres netted the only goal of the match against Atletico on Sunday, with the result moving Barcelona 11 points clear at the top of the table once again.

"It's a very important victory. It was key to our goal of winning the league. We beat a great team. They had chances, but we dominated and we had to score the second goal that would have given us peace of mind. But it's a constant in this League. We have been superior," Xavi told reporters after the win over Atletico.

Frenkie de Jong and Pedri both made their injury returns against Atletico, with the former starting in central midfield, playing 78 minutes, while the latter was introduced as a substitute in the 61st minute.

"No disrespect to the others, but it's obvious that Frenkie and Pedri are very important, with their talent they improve everything, they are crucial," Xavi added. "When Frenkie and Pedri get the ball, I feel more relaxed."

Ousmane Dembele and Andreas Christensen are also both closing in on returns from injuries, but Sergi Roberto faces a battle to be fit before the end of the season due to a hamstring issue.

Barcelona will be bidding to make it back-to-back victories in Spain's top flight when they travel to Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday night before finishing the month at home to Real Betis.

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