Leon Balogun: What Helped Me To Stop Lewandowski From Scoring

Mainz 05 defender Leon Balogun has insisted that he was able to stop Bayern Munich's Poland international Robert Lewandowski from scoring in Friday's friendly because he has faced the striker several times at club level.

Indeed, the Nigerian and Pole have faced each other five times in the last three seasons, with Lewandowski writing his name on the score-sheet six times in total in those games.

In the two matches, the Bayern Munich number nine did not score, his team failed to win, drawing 2-2 with Mainz on April 22, 2017 and losing 2-1 on March 2, 2016.

''It helped that I have played against him many times in the past, so I was able to tell my team mates what he is most likely to do in terms of his movements,'' Balogun said to reporters in the mixed zone.

The Polish captain would have opened the scoring in the eighth minute of the friendly against Nigeria but the ball hit the frame of the goal.

The central defender added : ''It shows his quality that he still hit the post in the first half and in the second half we relied on Francis (Udoho) to make a save to deny him.''

Balogun picked up a knee injury against the European opponents and will undergo a fitness test ahead of Tuesday's pre-World Cup friendly against Serbia at the Hive Stadium in London.

Igho Kingsley