Barça’s perfect start leaves fans dazzled and dreaming

FC Barcelona have started the new season in scintillating form, silencing the doubters who questioned them after their Gamper Trophy game defeat to Monaco. In competitive games this season, the Catalans are four from four, sitting four points clear at the top of La Liga heading into the first international break of the campaign. 

Not only have Hansi Flick’s side registered four wins, but they’ve come in style, particularly in the weekend’s 7-0 thrashing of Valladolid. Prior to that, three 2-1 victories showed a bit of everything: resilience, grit, and plenty of strength. 

The extremely positive start comes with a good omen for how this season could go, according to historical statistics, as pointed out by Spanish sports statto, Mister Chip. 

In the last 11 campaigns where Barcelona have started with four wins from their first four games, they have won the title in nine of them. Interestingly, Atletico Madrid won the other two, meaning that Real Madrid have not won La Liga when Barça have started four-from-four since 1961. 

Keys to success

Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and new signing Dani Olmo have all started the new season at lightning pace, helping Barcelona to secure early leadership of the table. 

After breaking out as a global superstar during Spain’s triumphant European Championships in the summer, Lamine Yamal continues to show himself developing into a more and more complete attacking footballer with each passing week.

Last season he showed he was fast, had quick and tricky feet, and the directness to beat defenders, but in the early stages of this campaign he’s showing a passing ability at times reminiscent of a certain Barcelona hero of the past. 

With four goals and one assist, Lewandowski has been a crucial part of this team so far. Granted, it’s still very early, but In the first part of this campaign, he’s registering career-best statistics so far, in terms of expected goals and expected assists. 

Rivalling him at the top of those individual leaderboards is Raphinha, who has arguably been their best player of the season of them all so far, and got his just rewards with a hat-trick against Valladolid. 

Meanwhile, Dani Olmo was the big arrival in the transfer window. The Spain international was keenly sought by manager Hansi Flick to be the man to knit the whole attacking system together, and he’s repaying that faith with plenty more in his first appearances in the blaugrana shirt. Entering at half time 1-0 down to Rayo Vallecano, Olmo took control of the game and never let it go, orchestrating the comeback and securing the 1-2 win with the winning goal on his debut. 

With the talent on show combined with the physical preparation and modern pressing tactics that Flick can bring, there is a very high ceiling for what this Barcelona team can achieve this season, both domestically and in Europe. 

Espanyol earn first win

It had been a rocky start to life back in La Liga for Espanyol, with defeats to Valladolid and Real Sociedad to open their account, but things are looking much better now for the pericos. 

A valiant 0-0 draw with Atletico Madrid got the first point on the board, but a last-minute come-from-behind win against Rayo Vallecano will really boost the mood around Cornellà, as the blues scored their first goals of the season and earned their first win. 

Meanwhile, in northern Catalonia, Girona are also looking up after successfully turning around a difficult start to the campaign. They’re back in the top five heading into the international break after routing Osasuna and outclassing Sevilla. 

This season is to be enjoyed in Montilivi, though, with the European fixtures having been released last week.

Girona will face Liverpool, Arsenal, Feyenoord, and Slovan Bratislava at home, and travel to PSG, AC Milan, PSV Eindhoven, and Sturm Graz.

Barcelona, on the other hand, will face Bayern Munich, Atalanta, Brest, and Young Boys at home, and Red Star Belgrade, Monaco, Dortmund, and Benfica away in the new revamped style of the tournament.