Robert Lewandowski is certain Barcelona will emerge from the international break as a better team, after a 4-2 win at Celta Vigo boosted their title hopes in LaLiga.

Barca have endured a difficult period in recent weeks, suffering league defeats to Sevilla and Real Madrid and being held to a 3-3 draw by Club Brugge in the Champions League.

But on Sunday, they pulled within three points of Madrid at the top of LaLiga by edging a six-goal thriller at the Estadio Abanca-Balaidos, where Lewandowski scored a hat-trick.

The Poland international has seven goals in LaLiga this season – more than any other Barca player – following his third hat-trick in the competition (also versus Alaves and Valencia, both in 2024).

His 76 goals in LaLiga are at least 26 more than any other player has scored since the start of his debut season in 2022-23, with Osasuna's Ante Budimir second on 50.

Lamine Yamal was also on target for Barca, who Lewandowski expects to make the most of the upcoming hiatus. 

"We are very happy. Vigo is always a difficult place for us to go, but now we are fewer points away from Real Madrid," Lewandowski said.

"In the second half, we had the game under greater control, but in the first, Celta scored very easily. 

"At half-time we talked about what we could improve, and after the fourth goal we played more calmly.

"We will analyse after the game how we can improve. Now we have two weeks to switch off, but when we come back, we're going to play much better."

Lewandowski played the full 90 minutes despite Barca effectively killing the game as a contest when he got his third goal in the 73rd minute.

And the 37-year-old revealed he was asked by head coach Hansi Flick whether he wanted to rest in the closing stages.

He said: "Flick asked me if I needed rest, but I told him no. Today I felt very good, I'm very happy."

Barca return to action at home to Athletic Club on November 22, before they visit Chelsea in the Champions League three days later.