Champions League: Barcelona's Lewandowski cherishes hat-trick; sends subtle warning to Bayern Munich

Polish striker Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick as Barcelona opened their Champions League 2022-23 campaign with a comfortable 5-1 win over Viktoria Plzen at Camp Nou on Wednesday.

Image Credit: Getty Images

Polish striker Robert Lewandowski scored a sensational hat-trick as Barcelona opened their Champions League 2022-23 campaign with an emphatic 5-1 win over Viktoria Plzen at Camp Nou on Wednesday. The former Bayern Munich star netted for the Catalan club in the 34th, 48th and 67th minutes of the clash. The other two goals were scored by Frank Kessie (13') and Ferran Torres (71').

Image Credit: Robert Lewandowski Instagram

Barcelona's new no.9 Lewandowski was proud after his first hat-trick for the La Liga giants in Champions League and was named man of the match for his brilliant show. Hailing his teammates at Camp Nou, the Polish talisman said, "I knew from the beginning here it was going to be important to adapt right from the first game. 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."

Image Credit: Getty Images

"The most important thing in an assist is the timing of the pass, and that's what I got from my three teammates. But it's not important who scores the goals. It's the three points; then it's the next game. Today is my wife's birthday, so the goals and the birthday were for her. The fact that she was in the stadium on her birthday means a lot. Something amazing for me," Lewandowski added.

The Poland forward also took to Instagram to celebrate his hat-trick with his followers. "L⚽️⚽️⚽️ve this game! 😎 @fcbarcelona #championsleague," wrote Lewandowski in a post that saw his wife drop three red hearts in the comment box.

The 34-year-old also emphasised that Xavi Hernandez's side needs to keep its foot on the pedal during the start of the new season. "We know that we have to play well in the first half of the season, stay focused, and score more goals. We have to win every match," Lewandowski added.

Set to reunite with former club Bayern Munich when the two football giants face each other in their Champions League group-stage encounter on Tuesday, Lewandowski gave a bullish response ahead of the much-awaited fixture. "We are ready to face Bayern," the Polish icon remarked.