FC Barcelona has made a great start to the season by winning its first four matches in La Liga. Real Madrid, meanwhile, has managed to win only two of its four matches and is in second place with eight points from four matches.
Barcelona has scored a very impressive 13 goals in its first four matches, which is a stupendous record. Its attacking might have come to the fore, with youngster Lamine Yamal and new signing Dani Olmo also being quite impressive. Hansi Flick, their new manager, has thus made a very good beginning in the Spanish league with his team.
Barcelona’s goal-scoring threat is quite ominous for its opposition:
Barcelona’s attack comprises Yamal, Olmo, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Ferran Torres, which is quite formidable and among the best in the world. Yamal showed his class in Spain’s triumphant Euro 2024 campaign and has gone from strength to strength during the last few months.
Yamal plays on the right flank, which has been adorned by the great Lionel Messi in the past. While any comparison with the great Argentine will put undue pressure on the 16-year-old, it cannot be denied that his left foot has given us glimpses of his enormous potential.
Then, there is the clinical Lewandowski, who has already scored four goals this season and shows no sign of slowing down. The 36-year-old already has more than 500 goals to his credit in top-flight football and would like to have at least another good season for the Blaugrana.
Raphinha has also scored a hat-trick this season against Valladolid and will want to get as much game time for his club as possible. Olmo is also a fantastic player, and his inclusion has bolstered Barcelona greatly. He has a couple of goals to his credit already, and surely many more are going to come.
The above means that Torres might not get much game time and should be used primarily as a substitute. Still, he is a good enough player to make his mark by utilizing the opportunities that come his way.
Barcelona has not had much success of late:
Barca has won only a solitary league title in the last five years and has not reached the UEFA Champions League final since 2015. The slight decline in the club’s fortune started with the departure of Messi and Sergio Busquets. Flick will, however, fancy his chances of winning the La Liga title and also doing well in the Champions League, a title he has won in the past as the Bayern Munich manager.
With the ever-formidable Real Madrid strengthening the team with the signing of Kylian Mbappe, it is up to Flick’s men to rise to the challenge and give stiff competition to Los Blancos.