Lewandowski setting sail for big clubs?

To adjust their game to their club's demands seems to be a normal thing for footballers. In the case of Bayern Munich's striker Robert Lewandowski, it shows the exorbitant quality of the 27-year-old striker.

Ahead of his club's Champions League group game against the Croatian side Dynamo Zagreb this Tuesday evening, Lewandowski, in his second year at the German record champions, has undoubtedly broken through the sound barrier to become a true world class player to be regularly found amongst the headlines of the football world around the globe. He is now regarded as the man to help fulfill his club's and head coach Pep Guardiola's dreams of winning this season's Champions League title and more, to be the man to help to beat the so-called big boys like title-holder FC Barcelona and their big rivals Real Madrid.

Some call him a "goal machine", others regard him as the "world's best", no matter how you rate Robert Lewandowski one thing seems to be definite: The Polish striker is in the form of his life. A record 10 goals after seven league games, he has only appeared in six, is a convincing argument.

Lewandowski and Bayern are ready for big things. The legendary German forward, Gerd Mueller, called the "Bomber", was similarly prolific in the 1977/78 season but nobody has come close until now that is. Lewandowski also now holds the record for the foreign player quickest to 100 league goals, 101 goals in 168 games.

But what is the reason for the current success for the man who loves art, sport and follows a strict career plan? Now in his second year at the club, Lewandowski really has "arrived" in Munich's game. So much so that he is a vital part of it. Both the player and the team have opened their minds to a new strategy. Lewandowski has started to adopt a different style as he sometimes pulls back into midfield to push his team forward and he flanks to give greater width.

This was necessary to be a helpful cog in Guardiola's system. Other than in his first year when doubts were raised if Lewandowski would ever be fully integrated in Bayern's game, the Pole now seems to be a shining star in the center of Bayern's football universe. Lewandowski has changed his game as has his club. Munich have tried to put Lewandowski in a goal-scoring position through passes and crosses. One can compare it to the changes made in Barcelona's attacking game when Lionel Messi left the center to provide space for Luis Suarez and Neymar. A move now regarded as Barcelona's rebirth.

In Munich, Lewandowski this season has had 76 percent more attempts on goal than last time around. At present there are seven per game on average, all of high quality and many lead to goals. In addition, after signing Douglas Costa (25) and Kingsley Coman (19), Bayern seems to be a paradise for a man like him. More than for instance Arjen Robben (31) and Franck Ribery (32) who both like to score themselves, the two newcomers are experts for assists. For instance Costa is currently in the spotlight after ten assists in seven games which is a new bench mark for the German league.

In Bayern's squad is also Thomas Mueller, maybe most unpredictable player on the planet. Meaning: The opponent's defense is forced to stay fully concentrated as Mueller's sometimes weird and unpredictable way of playing and opens more space for Lewandowski. For Mueller, Costa is the crucial reason for the improvement of Bayern's much more effective attacking game.

"Douglas Costa seems to be just like made for Lewy and me," Mueller says.

Looking at the variety Bayern now has with the quartet of Robben, Ribery ("Robbery"), Costa and Coman ("CoCo"), the club (and Lewandowski) seems to be better prepared to beat dominant teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid. When there is much space on the pitch Costa and Coman seem to be ahead of Ribery and Robben who are the ones to count on when space gets tighter. Now facing tough competition in the club, Ribery and Robben (both miss the match against Zagreb due to injury) both have a real fight on their hands if they are to return to the starting eleven.

The current success, especially in Lewandowski's case, has it's dark sides too. Lewandowski more and more is a candidate for the clubs he and his fellow players are desperate to beat in this season's competition. Right after Lewandowski had scored fantastic five goals within nine minutes in the league game against VfL Wolfsburg, his entourage opened the doors for rumors about his future by mentioning that Spain would be the ideal place for a football star like him.

Lewandowski's future might well be decided in the Polish parliament as his manager, 2002 World Cup participant Cezary Kucharski is member of the leading party coalition of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Kucharski does not make any secrets of his client's intentions saying: "I have a clear plan in my head regarding the future of Robert's career." Recently the 43-year-old politician and chief of a sport management agency whipped up interest by talking about Spain.

Kucharski was soon attacked by Bayern Munich officials for his statement and reinterpreted his statement by explaining he was only talking about the good weather conditions in Spain.

But Lewandowski's past implicates that his management is always putting out the feelers. Before Lewandowski, who has a contract at Bayern Munich until 2019, was transferred from Borussia Dortmund to the Bavarian club, the clever businessman Kucharski talked for months about the next step for his client way before the contract in Dortmund was running out. Enditem