Lewandowski fired up for Dortmund

Robert Lewandowski is up to 17 goals for Bayern so far. It’s a good return, although the Pole would like more: “Obviously you can always play better and score more goals,” he said. Lewandowski takes a trip down memory lane on Saturday evening when the striker returns to his former club Dortmund, where he spent four seasons before joining Munich last summer.

In a recent interview Lewandowski looked ahead to the big Bundesliga showdown and reviewed his first season in Munich to date. fcbayern.de has excerpts.

Robert, are you looking forward to going back to Dortmund?
Lewandowski: Of course! I had four good and successful years with Dortmund and I still keep in touch with my former team-mates. That doesn’t mean we’re not going there to give it everything and come away with all three points if possible.

You’ve scored 13 goals in 24 Bundesliga appearances for FC Bayern. Are you happy with that?
Yes. Overall I’m very happy at the club and with the city. Obviously you can always play better and score more goals, but I’m the kind of player who tends to think first of the team. If I spot that I can make space for a team-mate I’ll do it, by pulling two defenders out of position for example.

Since joining Bayern, how much have you had to change the way you play compared to your time with Dortmund?
I had four years at BVB so you obviously need to grow into a new system, and players sometimes need a little time for that. We try to play a short-passing game here because possession is the decisive criterion. With Dortmund the defenders often knocked long balls up for me to chase, but we do that very rarely here.

There’s been a fierce media debate about your role. What’s your take on that?
I’m only concerned with what the coach and my team-mates have to say. No striker in the modern game can simply hang around up front waiting for the ball to be played to him. I’ve been at Bayern for half a year now, and I know I’m becoming more skilful because I’m training with such great players every day. I’m feeling very, very good at the moment and I’m looking forward to our upcoming matches.