Lewandowski says Barcelona ready to challenge Real Madrid in title race

Barcelona's fans count that this season the Catalans will divest Real Madrid of the crown, while Lewandowski is seen as greatest rival of Karim Benzema in the battle for La Liga's top scorer title

"I'm not focused just on beating Real Madrid and scoring more than Karim Benzema; I just want to win trophies with FC Barcelona," Polish forward Robert Lewandowski said in an interaction with Polish media.

On Sunday, the Poland captain made a stunning debut at Camp Nou as the 33-year-old found an opener and added two assists before the break in Barca's 6-0 win over the Mexican side Pumas UNAM.

"We have great potential. I know that the last time was difficult for Barcelona, but I fully believe that the clue goes into the right direction. I needed just a few minutes to understand coach Xavi Hernandez's idea for the team," Lewandowski was quoted as saying by the Polish press on Monday evening, reports Xinhua.

"Leaving Bayern Munich after eight years turned out to be the most difficult decision in my life. However, I was ready. I felt that I needed to take this step for myself and for my family. I found the best solution. I have a great experience, I'm ready to help the younger players," the striker added.

Barcelona's fans count that this season the Catalans will divest Real Madrid of the crown, while Lewandowski is seen as the greatest rival of Karim Benzema in the battle for the La Liga's top scorer title.

"I know how to play against Real Madrid. Of course Benzema is a great striker but I don't think about beating him and I'm not focused just on winning over Los Blancos. I want to win every match and many trophies here in Barcelona. We can win (match) by match, we are ready for that," the Pole concluded.

On August 13, Lewandowski will probably make his debut in Spanish La Liga. Barcelona will host Rayo Vallecano.

--IANS

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