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Robert Lewandowski remains Poland’s “number one” penalty taker despite missing his spot-kick against Mexico, head coach Czeslaw Michniewicz has confirmed.
Having drawn a blank in Russia four years ago, the Barcelona forward is still awaiting his first World Cup goal after Guillermo Ochoa denied him from 12 yards in the Eagles’ Group C opener on Tuesday.
But Michniewicz confirmed Lewandowski remains Poland’s first choice should they be awarded another penalty in their second group game against Saudi Arabia.
“When it comes to the penalties, Robert is still number one,” the head coach said. “As a striker, of course, he will make a decision whether he will shoot or pass it on to someone else. He feels ready to score for Poland.”
Jan Bednarek believes while Lewandowski will be desperate to break his finals duck, the captain’s main focus is on the team’s performance in Qatar.
“Robert Lewandowski is our captain, he’s a striker, he wants to score as many goals as he can,” the on-loan Aston Villa defender said. “But for him, the good of the team is most important. He wants us to win.
“He hides his pride in his pocket, and he really focuses on working as hard as he can. It’s not important to him if he scores or not, he wants us to win the match.
“He’s got his individual objective, but I am convinced he places the team’s success at the top. This is the best striker in the world. I hope he leads us to win. I don’t know if he will score or not, but the most important thing is for us to win.”
