Bundes POTM Lewandowski

They promised.  Or at least it felt like one.  At the start of FIFA 21 EA appeared to acknowledge the fact that in FIFA 20 there was really only one type of usable forward; small, agile & two footed.  The goal was to eliminate this meta and to create a more balanced game where more and more players would be usable in their own way.  Well, now that we are all playing FIFA 20.1 it is obvious that that ship has sailed already and we are back where we started with the small and agile plague.  However, that didn’t stop me from trying to set my own course this weekend when using POTM 93 Lewandowski throughout my Weekend League journey.  The question is, was it successful… and also, would I recommend completing this SBC before it expires?  Like all things with reviewing cards, the answer is complicated, but I will try my best to illustrate my experiences with Lewandowski so that you can make your own judgement.  Immediately I struggled with the correct chemistry style to apply for my review and ended up experimenting with a mixture of MARKSMAN (7 games, 11 goals, 2 assists) , HUNTER (7 games, 12 goals, 2 assists) & ENGINE (6 games, 9 goals, 1 assist) across the 20 matches.  However, one thing that remained constant was his position as I played the Polish Powerhouse as the right ST in my 4-4-2 formation.  All weekend Lewandowski put the finishing touches on the following squad:

Starting Formation:

Overall

Rating: 9/10
Pace Rating: 8.5/10
Dribbling Rating: 9/10
Shooting Rating: 9.5/10
Passing Rating: 9/10
Physical Rating: 10/10
Defending Rating: N/A

In relation to chemistry styles it ended up a toss up between MARKSMAN and HUNTER as my two favorites throughout the review.  MARKSMAN added a nice combination of Herculean 99 STRENGTH, pile driving 97 LONG SHOTS, and the super glue combination of 99 CONTROL & 98 DRIBBLING.  Basically with MARKSMAN the goal was to give up some pace in return for an unmovable object on the ball with lights out finishing.  With HUNTER it “was all about that pace, bout that pace, no dribble”.  If I am honest in both the case of the HUNTER and ENGINE I didn't really notice any pace boost in Lewandowski, which is of course what you are hoping for with those styles; it just feels like Lewandowski has that one steady speed of 80 Pace and it is what it is.  In the end it is why I recommend going with MARKSMAN, the card isn’t built for speed, so you might as well bolster everything else in his goal scoring toolbox.                           
          

Main Statistic - Physical

Physical Rating: 9/10
Trait: Solid Player

Honestly, solid is an understatement.  While Lewandowski might not have the silky dribbling of Neymar, it does not matter as much when your opponent can not get past the brick wall Lewandowski sets up when shielding the ball.  Time and time again this card bailed me out when my opponent was on the team press.  I knew all I had to do was lob the ball up to Lewandowski and he would knock it down into the feet of open teammates… or play it into his feet, hold L2, and watch the likes of Varane and Gomez flounder in their lame attempts to knock this colossus off of the ball.  Similarly, the physicality of this card came up trumps around the box throughout the weekend.  Whether it was shielding the ball to lay it off for teammates to finish chances… or simply turning opponents who then could simply not put in a successful challenge... either fouling for pks, or watching the Big Lewbowski curl yet another shot past the stretched finger tips of their keeper. Additionally, the 97 JUMPING & 89 HEADING ACCURACY were key off of crosses and corners, as Lewandowski channeled some of his inner FIFA 19 throughout the weekend.  In a small way I saw some of what EA was planning with FIFA 21 as Lewandowski played the big man’s game in a small man’s world.  But was it enough?

Main Attribute - 4 STAR WEAK FOOT

Weak Foot: * * * *
Shooting Rating: 9.5/10
Traits: Outside Foot, Finesse Shot

I don’t think it will come as a surprise to anyone that I found Lewandowski to be incredibly clinical.  99 FINISHING, 96 SHOT POWER, 97 LONG SHOTS & 91 VOLLEYS all combining into one target locking missile launcher of a right foot.  So why a 9.5/10?  Well, I purposefully singled out Lewandowski’s right foot as the money maker, while his left can be found wanting at times… and always the worst times it seems.  I don’t want to make it sound like this card is poor on the left, it just wasn’t nearly as consistent as the right, which never misses... never.  

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad 

Value/Coins Rating: 5/5
Good vs Bad Rating: 4/5

280k.  Obviously if you have a pile of untradeables then this “reduces the price,” but once the fodder is gone you need to use coins for future SBCs, so worth making sure it is worth it first.  For me it is just about spot on for value and therefore merits the 5/5 in this case.  I enjoyed using a card outside of the current meta and made me play a little out of my comfort zone.  I did mention it already, but it truly is fantastic watching the variety of finishes that Lewandowski can pull off… so if you already have the squad capable of getting the big man into dangerous positions, he will do the rest. 

There are a lot of superb statistics that make Lewandowski an intriguing option … and he is certainly an alternative to the current Neymar, Mbappe, CR7 trio that seem to be in everyone’s squad.  Similarly, he offers a different option to the lower price range trio of Anaki Williams, Dembele, and Ben Yedder who are just as popular.  But all this brings me back to the start of the review and the discussion on EA’s attempt to make all players viable in a variety of ways.  This of course has not happened, hence the increasingly small list of names you face 29 games out of 30 each weekend.  Unfortunately, despite how fun he was to use, I do not see Lewandowski joining the Weekend League A-Listers any time soon. Even with the HUNTER and ENGINE chemistry styles this card just doesn’t have the pace required to really take over a match, and I moved him to a super sub for my final 10 Weekend League matches as well...  joining the scourge of OP abusers for fear of being punished without them.   Granted, I should point out Lewandowski was a quality super sub and the slightly slower pace at the end of the match suited him perfectly… the consistent and reliable finishing was a nice addition when behind a goal late in a match… the size and strength key to getting the ball past the team press when ahead.  
 

Closing Words

To complete, or not to complete? That is the question - This would normally be the time for some advice on whether or not to finish this card.  From a strictly gameplay only perspective it really depends on the team you have surrounding Lewandowski.  If you have a nice combination of quicker options and can use the big man to hold up play and finish off the chances you create… then this card can certainly be a solid option.  However, the hesitation for me comes in the form of who we are dealing with here.  Robert Lewandowski is a man on a mission and having been robbed of the Ballon d’Or once already he seems hell bent on righting the wrong with a beyond human level of quality.  With that in mind it seems only a matter of when, not if Lewandowski gets his next inform… and at that moment this card becomes obsolete.  With all of that in mind, I would lean towards a no-go on this POTM; unless you are a huge fan, or really need that strong target striker for your playstyle, it just isn’t worth it in the end.  Cheers for reading.
 

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