Barcelona boss Xavi hailed new signing Robert Lewandowski's "insatiable" appetite for goals after his hat-trick in an emphatic 5-1 win over Viktoria Plzen in Wednesday's Champions League match.
The Poland international, 33, joined the Catalans this summer for a fee of €45 million from Bayern Munich and has wasted little time making his mark.
Wednesday's treble took Lewandowski to eight goals in just five games for Barca, but Xavi was quick to point out the player brings more to the team than just goals.
"That's how Robert is, insatiable," Xavi said. "The way he trains, the way he helps the team, his humility, his work-rate ... I can't praise him enough because it's not just about his hat-trick, it's the way he works, how he knows to dominate the tempo of the game."
Franck Kessie put Barca in front in the 13th minute, heading in his first goal for the club following a corner.
Lewandowski extended their lead with a right-footed finish into the bottom corner in the 37th, after Barca had survived a scare which almost led to them conceding a penalty and having a man sent off.
Viktoria were awarded a penalty and Barca defender Andreas Christensen was shown a red card for hauling down Jhon Mosquera but a VAR review showed Mosquera had struck Christensen with an elbow and the decision was overturned, the Plzen forward being shown a yellow card instead.
Plzen pulled themselves back into the game in the 44th minute with a header from Jan Sykora but Barca quickly restored their two-goal cushion when Lewandowski produced a diving header from an Ousmane Dembele cross in first-half stoppage time.
Barca player ratings
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BARCELONA PLAYER RATINGS: Marc-Andre Ter Stegen – 6. Hard for him to stop the Viktoria goal, a powerful header from close range. The rest of the action was at the other end in a 5-1 win played in front of another huge crowd of 77,000. Wonder what he makes of the side in front of him since it looks completely different to last season. AFP -
Jordi Alba – 7. So long a fixture at left-back, he’s only started one of Barca’s four league games this season. Worked hard, hugged the sideline, got forward and made more key passes than any of his teammate bar the forwards. AP -
Andreas Christensen – 6. Pushed his defensive line so high that he was frequently midway into the Plzen half. Got an elbow to his face but was accused of pushing Mosquera by the Czech players which led to a VAR review although no penalty given. EPA -
Jules Kounde – 8. Started in his preferred central defensive role and set up Kessie with a header for the opening goal after meeting a corner. Enjoyed a positive start to his Barcelona career. EPA -
Sergi Roberto – 6. Right back, the captain for the night got right forward after 8 minutes, but not as much as he did after 33, sprinting towards the penalty spot, passing to Lewandowski and making himself available for the return ball. It wasn’t needed. Taken off at half time. Reuters -
Frenkie De Jong – 7. Started in his preferred role just in front of the defence. Looked like a central defender when the defenders split as Barca moved forward. Got in the right positions when he moved forward, but his passes in the final third didn’t always come off as he’d hoped. Getty -
Pedri – 7. Almost put his side ahead after combining with Lewandowksi. Smashed a second shot well over after 62. Getty -
Franck Kessie – 7. Put his side ahead in the 13th minute, heading the ball down between the goalkeeper and post. Saluted the crowd after his first Barca goal and helped the side dominate, with an astonishing 79 per cent of possession. EPA -
Ousmane Dembele – 9. Barca’s most dangerous player, running at and taking on opponents. Struck the corner which led to the opening goal. His best move was winning the ball back against the odds before crossing for the third. His connection with Lewandowski is thriving, but he beat two men to take a shot of his own before he was substituted to an ovation. AP -
Robert Lewandowski – 10. An incredible performance from an incredible footballer. Pulled around by the Czech captain, yet still scored two first half goals – and smiled throughout. His first, set up by Roberto, his second a header from a Dembele cross. Rounded the keeper on 50 to try and get his hat-trick. That came on 66, curling the ball around the goalkeeper, and he conducted the fans in celebration. He wasn’t finished as he ran back trying for a fourth. Getty -
Ansu Fati – 7. Smashed a shot wide on 17 and then hit a weaker shot on target four minutes later. Lively to the left of Lewandowski and while not to Dembele’s level, was worthy of his start. The fans love him and his youth, supporting him after he came back from serious injuries. AP -
SUBS: Gerard Pique (Roberto 45’) – 7. On at half time and resumed the captain’s role. AFP -
Ferran Torres (Fati 66’) – 8. Set up Lewandowksi’s hat-trick a minute after coming on, then turned to volley Barca’s fifth on 70. AFP -
Gavi (Pedri 74’) – 7. One prodigal talent replaces another, though Gavi should learn from Pedri’s better discipline. Reuters -
Memphis Depay (Dembele 74’) – 6. Minutes for a player who isn’t getting enough and who would have been allowed to leave in the close season. AFP -
Pablo Torre (Kessie 80’) 6. The 19-year-old midfielder who signed from Racing Santander for €5m in March got his first minutes in the Champions League. AP
The Poland striker completed his treble midway through the second period, meeting a layoff from Ferran Torres and curling the ball inside the far post with one touch.
“I knew from the beginning here it was going to be important to adapt right from the first game," Lewandowski said. “People ask about the goals, but it’s important to be in the right position, to help my team because my teammates have helped me a lot on and off the pitch.”
Lewandowski said the goals were a gift to his wife, who was at the Camp Nou celebrating her birthday.
“The fact that she was in the stadium on her birthday means a lot," he said. "Something amazing for me.”
It was Lewandowski's sixth hat-trick in the Champions League and he became the first player in the competition's history to score one for three different clubs, having netted trebles for Bayern and Borussia Dortmund.
Torres completed a hugely satisfying evening for Xavi 's side by scoring the fifth goal to put Barca top of Group C. They head to Bayern next on September 13, when Plzen host Inter Milan.
Champions League team of the week
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GK: Andre Onana (Internazionale). Given his Inter debut, after joining from Ajax in the summer, the Cameroonian was on the losing side but prevented the 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich turning a great deal heavier with some smart saves. EPA -
DF: Stefan Ristovski (Dinamo Zagreb). One of several heroes of the shock Dinamo Zagreb victory that cost Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel his job. Ristovski anticipated threats and was bold going forward. AP Photo -
DF: Axel Witsel (Atletico Madrid). Quickly mastering his new, designated role in a back three, the Belgian kept Porto at bay with authority, and his header set up a dramatic, late winner in Atletico’s 2-1 victory. EPA -
DF: Alex Grimaldo (Benfica). An assist and a goal for the energetic Spaniard in Benfica’s 2-0 triumph against Maccabi Haifa, the epitome of a team brimming with confidence and now on a run of 10 successive victories. AFP -
RM: Federico Valverde (Real Madrid). His assist for the first goal against a bullish Celtic had shades of his pass to Vinicius Junior that settled the last Champions League final. Valverde, a young player rising impressively, has become vital for the European Cup holders. Reuters -
CM: Andre-Franck Zambo Anguissa (Napoli). A masterly showing, defensively and creatively, in central midfield, galvanising Napoli’s stunning dismantling of Liverpool. Capped his performance with a rare, but well taken goal. Getty Images -
CM: Phil Foden (Manchester City). Full of zest, vision and already looking as if he has found a wavelength with Erling Haaland, who struck another brace of goals against Sevilla, but will acknowledge that Foden, who scored City’s second in the 4-0 win, was equally influential. Getty Images -
LM: Mykhaylo Muryk (Shakhtar Donetsk). The much-coveted winger starred in a fabulous night for Shakhtar, 4-1 winners over RB Leipzig, a victory warmly appreciated given the adversity faced by Ukrainian football, preoccupied and restricted by the ongoing conflict at home. AFP -
RW: Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain). The Brazilian is in sensational form, and took it into the prestigious clash with Juventus, a 2-1 win in which Neymar set up the early opening goal for Kylian Mbappe and, demonstrating his eagerness and fitness, remained incisive throughout. EPA -
CF: Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona). A year on from his goals helping to push Barcelona out of the Champions League in the group phase, Lewandowski marked his Barca debut in the competition with a handsome hat-trick in the 5-1 demolition of Viktoria Plzen. Getty Images -
LW: Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich). The former Manchester City forward was at his smooth, decisive best against Inter. He took his goal nicely to put Bayern in the lead and forced the own goal that completed the scoring in Bayern’s 2-0 win. AFP
