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Woodwork can be both the friend and enemy of a football player. The ball can sometimes hit the posts and go in, delighting the players. In other cases, a perfectly well-hit shot can rebound off the bar to cause much agony to a player and his team. While the players try their best to avoid the woodwork, they come in the way of every footballer from time to time.
Some players suffer from poorer luck, and the following five names have hit the woodwork more times than their contemporaries. Their performances in the current 2021-22 campaign have arguably been good. However, their goal tally would have been better had some of the shots that hit the woodwork gone inside.
Let's take a look at these players:
#5 Nabil Fekir - 5 times
Nabil Fekir has been a fantastic performer for Real Betis in the current season. He has already made 28 appearances across all competitions, scoring seven goals and assisting seven. It still feels strange that the French playmaker went to a relatively minor club from Lyon in 2019 after his potential transfer to Liverpool failed.
But Fekir has been one of the better performers of the Spanish club and has been the creator-in-chief. His strengths come from his ability to join the attack when needed and find teammates with accurate passes. He has operated in more comprehensive positions, but his best position is the attacking midfield.
Fekir has performed well in the current campaign and has been Betis' man of the season. But had he not hit the woodwork five times, his goal tally could have been in double digits.
#4 Tammy Abraham - 5 times
Roma haven't had their best season as results have been mixed under Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho. But Mourinho's faith in young English forward Tammy Abraham has been on point.
Abraham was seen as a surplus at former club Chelsea before he switched to Italy at the start of the current campaign for £34 million. He has enjoyed a successful run so far, and his move has been worth it in gold. Abraham's greatest strength as a striker has been his direct approach and ability to find the back of the net.
Abraham has been a consistent scorer so far on his Roma journey. He has made 31 appearances across all major competitions and has hit the woodwork five times. But that hasn't dented his goal-scoring numbers, as Abraham has scored 17 and assisted five goals.
#3 Robert Lewandowski - 6 times
When a player is as prolific a striker as Robert Lewandowski, it's expected that he will have high goal attempts. While Lewandowski is deadly accurate and buries most of his chances, some have gone away because of inches.
Lewandowski has been arguably the best forward in the game in recent times. Such has been his power-packed performance for Bayern Munich that many fans believe he deserved to win the 2021 Ballon d'Or. Lewandowski may not have won the individual award, but it hasn't dented his confidence or goal-scoring antics.
Lewandowski is again having another terrific season as he leads the charge for another Bundesliga and Champions League title. He has made 29 appearances under Julian Nagelsmann and has already scored more than 30 goals. With 35 goals and three assists, Lewandowski sits comfortably ahead of any forward in Europe this season.
#2 Bryan Mbuemo - 7 times
Brentford have surprised many fans with their performances so far. Manager Thomas Franck has done well in the side's first season in the Premier League after promotion. The side have taken many bigger outfits by surprise with their well-disciplined approach to counter-attacking and pressing football.
Frenchman Bryan Mbuemo has been an essential part of the Brentford squad in the Championship and is now in the Premier League. He is one of the many products that are testament to the scouting network's excellent use that Brentford boasts of.
Had Mbumeo's seven woodwork hits gone into goal, both he and Brentford would have been happier. However, the right-winger has made 21 appearances across all competitions, scoring seven goals and making three assists for his teammates.
#1 Lionel Messi - 7 times
No one could have foreseen Lionel Messi's transfer to Paris Saint-Germain last summer, but it did happen. But the Argentine has been slow in getting adjusted to the new team, and his goal-scoring has not been at his usual high standards.
PSG haven't been too affected by Messi's slow start so far as the club find themselves in a strong position thanks to Kylian Mbappe.
Messi has played in his preferred position but hasn't found form in Ligue 1, scoring twice in 13 games. He has been excellent in the Champions League so far, and PSG will be hoping that he can lead them to the coveted trophy. What hasn't helped Messi's luck has been the seven times he has struck the woodwork.
Messi is slowly getting back to his rhythm and has played 19 games in all competitions, scoring seven goals and making seven assists. The PSG faithful will hope his form improves as the club have a challenging set of fixtures coming up.
