Four reasons for optimism

Top of the table with an eight point advantage over their nearest rivals, Barça begin the second half of the league campaign perfectly placed. So far Xavi Hernández's team have recorded 17 wins, 2 draws and just one defeat in La Liga, picking up 53 points in 20 matches. 

Nevertheless, it is not the first time that the blaugranes have been in this position, having 50 points or more after 20 games. On no less than four separate occasions the team have had similar figures and on each occasion they have gone on to claim the league championship. 

Four precedents, four league titles 

The first precedent comes in the 2008/09 season, the first under Pep Guardiola as coach. The blaugranes recorded 53 points in 20 matches, an identical record to Xavi's team although this season the team have conceded just seven goals where in 2008/09 at this point in the campaign they had let in 14. Guardiola's Barça side went to claim the league title that season with 87 points at the end of the season, winning 27 games, drawing six and losing just five. 

Two seasons later Barça repeated that excellent start to the campaign. In 2010/11 Guardiola's team recorded 18 wins in 20 matches, claiming a total of 55 points. At the end of the season 96 points was enough to take the league title, four points ahead of their nearest rivals. In 2012/13 Barça again claimed 55 points in 20 matches and went to win La Liga once more with a total of 100 points. 

The most recent precedent comes in the 2017/18 campaign when the team picked up 54 points in the first 20 games of the campaign with 17 wins and three draws. At the end of the season a total of 93 points from 28 wins, 9 draws and just one defeat was enough for another league championship. 

So, in short, the omens are good as every time Barça have reached a total of 53 points in the first 20 matches of the league season they have ended the campaign as La Liga champions.