In their opening UEFA Champions League match of the year, FC Barcelona thrashed Viktoria Plzen 5-1 at Spotify Camp Nou on Wednesday.
Barça under Xavi put on an incredible show of unbridled domination, never giving their opponents a chance as they cruised to a decisive victory that put them at the top of Group C.
On the night, the Blaugrana had a number of standout performers, with names like Ousmane Dembele, Franck Kessie, and Pedri all leaving a lasting impact.
But Robert Lewandowski was the center of attention. The 34-year-old hitman gave Barcelona a convincing victory over the Czech Republic champions by scoring his first hat-trick for the club.
Lewandowski, who had already accomplished the feat with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, became the first footballer to ever score a hat-trick for three different teams in the Champions League with his three goals.
Barça under Xavi put on an incredible show of unbridled domination, never giving their opponents a chance as they cruised to a decisive victory that put them at the top of Group C.
On the night, the Blaugrana had a number of standout performers, with names like Ousmane Dembele, Franck Kessie, and Pedri all leaving a lasting impact.
But Robert Lewandowski was the center of attention. The 34-year-old hitman gave Barcelona a convincing victory over the Czech Republic champions by scoring his first hat-trick for the club.
Lewandowski, who had already accomplished the feat with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, became the first footballer to ever score a hat-trick for three different teams in the Champions League with his three goals.
Lewandowski will remember the evening for its performance and outcome, but the Poland captain also had a personal achievement to be proud of.
The 34-year-old surpassed Karim Benzema, the star forward for Real Madrid, on the list of Champions League goal scorers with his three goals. Lewandowski currently has 89 goals in the top football competition in Europe, while his Real Madrid rival has 86.
Only Lionel Messi (125) and Cristiano Ronaldo (141), who also joined Barcelona in the summer, have scored more goals than the recent addition, who currently has the third-highest total in the championship.
With 89 goals, Robert Lewandowski has surpassed Karim Benzema in the Champions League. (86)
Lewandowski is continuing where he left off at Bayern Munich with eight goals in only five games for Barcelona. He may be in line to win the Golden Boot at the conclusion of the season.
