Why Robert Lewandowski Is Bayern's Most Important Player in the Champions League

Bayern Munich kick off another Champions League campaign at the Allianz Arena this Wednesday when they welcome the might of Premier League side Manchester City to their Bavarian cauldron. 

Here the German and English champions will lock horns as they did in the preliminary stages of last season's European competition, to see just which heavyweight looks likely to claim Group E as their own. 

For Pep Guardiola, the new season means a whole host of new stars to embed into his team before too long. Yet no player within this squad should mean as much to the Bavarian side in this competition quite like Robert Lewandowski. 

Although Bayern's squad is one of the strongest throughout the continent, allowing for formidable backup players in almost any position, the role of sole striker is one that Lewandowski seems to hold with absolutely no competition. 

Unlike other star players within this squad, such as Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery or even Bastian Schweinsteiger, there is no definitive replacement for the Polish striker were he to pick up an unfortunate long-term injury. 

Where Thiago Alcantara, Xherdan Shaqiri and even Mario Gotze all await their chances to overtake their senior rivals, Lewandowski has only 35-year-old Claudio Pizarro to fear for his spot in the first team. Who should be troubled by this is his coach, Guardiola, who could find any potential prospects of silverware quickly shot down if he were to lose his only top-class striker.

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

Bayern fans will put some weight behind the argument that Pizarro has done well as a backup striker in recent seasons, and there is certainly some evidence behind that—after all, the forward scored 10 goals in 17 league appearances last season, according to transfermrkt—yet even the most optimistic fan couldn't argue that the Peruvian striker could lead the club's line for half the season. 

Furthermore, Bayern simply cannot perform without a striker of Lewandowski's skill and technique in the system that they use. 

His predecessor, Mario Mandzukic, often found himself on the unfortunate end of Guardiola's quest to find a perfect striker-less formation last season. A tactic that rarely worked for the club and one that doesn't seem very viable this season, either. 

Fans will remember needless draws against Freiburg, Leverkusen and even Manchester United last season through the Catalonian coach's relentless attempts to convert either Thomas Muller or Gotze as a false nine of sorts, while a perfectly good striker sat on the bench.

If Lewandowski were to pick up an injury, such a formation may be redeployed. And it could well spell disaster for Bayern's hopes in Europe.

The other reason that this striker is so important to Bayern's Champions League campaign is because he's one of the best continental goalscorers around. And one that simply thrives in such a tournament. 

For Borussia Dortmund, Lewandowski held an incredible record of 17 goals and eight assists in just 28 games, as noted by transfermarkt—a tally that transformed Jurgen Klopp's team from dark horses at first into formidable finalists by the end of the 2012/13 season. 

Of course, it's not just goals that the Polish striker brings to the table in tournaments such as the Champions League. Lewandowski has shown on multiple occasions—perhaps most notable against Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the 2012/13 competition when he scored no less than four goals in Dortmund—that he can single-handedly overcome any opponent. 

Such a talent will always be at the heart of a club like Bayern that truly defines itself on its ability to go toe-to-toe with some of the best clubs around the world. The German champions didn't sign Lewandowski to win them Bundesliga titles; he was brought in to win European Cups. 

As such, when Bayern walk on to the field on Wednesday night to overcome the first hurdle of their tricky group, it'll be Lewandowski rather than club captain Philipp Lahm or Ribery the playmaker that will demand the attention and respect of their opponents. 

For without this world-class striker, Bayern surely can't hope for much success in Europe at all this season. 

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