Lewandowski scores 2 again as Barcelona routs Valladolid

MADRID: With a defender moving in front of him and blocking his view inside the area, Robert Lewandowski stayed calm. The veteran striker patiently waited for a gap, then quickly used his backheel to gently send the ball into the far corner for a beautiful goal. Lewandowski continues to make scoring look easy after joining Barcelona from Bayern Munich.

Barcelona’s top signing this season found the net twice on Sunday to lead the Catalan club to a 4-0 rout of Valladolid in the Spanish league. It was the fourth goal in three matches for Lewandowski, who had also scored a double in the 4-1 win at Real Sociedad last weekend. He was also twice denied by the woodwork at the Camp Nou on Sunday.

“He is extraordinary,” Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández said of Lewandowski. “He is a natural leader who has been helping us greatly.” Pedri González and Sergi Roberto also scored for Barcelona, which had opened with a disappointing 0-0 draw against Rayo Vallecano at home. The 34-year-old Lewandowski, signed from Bayern for nearly $50 million, got on the board in the 24th minute by completing a nice pass by Raphinha, another one of Barcelona new signings who has been playing well.

Pedri added to the lead in the 43rd from near the penalty spot after an assist by Ousmane Dembélé, who also set up Lewandowski’s superb backheel goal in the 64th. Roberto closed the scoring in stoppage time. “We knew what kind of player we had signed,” newly signed Barcelona defender Jules Koundé said of Lewandowski.