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Borussia Dortmund now hope to hold on to their star striker Robert Lewandowski after his stellar performance against Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash.
Lewandowski, 24, who scored all 4 of his team’s goals against the Spanish giants will be out of contract at the end of the 2013-14 season and speculation of his departure is rife.
In the post match address, Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp said “I do not have the feeling that Robert is on the run and we are not the ones to send him away. Let’s wait and see what happens next.”
With his third goal on the night, Lewandowski made history as the first player to ever score a Champions League hat-trick against Real Madrid.
The goal in question was the pick of the lot on the night. Marcel Schmelzer’s mishit strike was controlled with ridiculous ease by Lewandowski, who then dragged it with seemingly effortless elegance beyond the reach of a desperately overstretched Pepe. The snarling drive in to the top corner to finish the move seemed a mere formality for a man at the height of his powers in the prime of his youth.
A powerfully driven penalty kick brought his tally for the night to 4 and drew the curtains on Real Madrid’s resistance at the Westfalenstadion.
Newly-crowned German champions Bayern Munich are frontrunners in the race to sign the Polish superstar having already publicly confirmed the signing of Dortmund’s ace playmaker Mario Gotze for £31.5 million on Tuesday.
Dortmund General Manager Hans-Joachim Watzke has however played down talk of Lewandowski’s departure and the prospect of losing two of their biggest assets to their biggest domestic rival in one summer.
“Robert has a contract until 2014 and there is no exit clause like with Mario Gotze,” said Watzke.
“It is our explicit wish to keep him until 2014. That is why we are saying no to a transfer fee.”
Lewandowski has been prolific this season for Dortmund having already racked up 33 goals in 42 appearances for Dortmund this season. He has found the back of the net 71 times in 130 games in total for the club in addition to netting 17 goals from 53 caps for Poland.
Source: BBC
