An encouraging start

Five from five for Barça in the league. Hansi Flick's team have started the season on top form with wins over Valencia, Athletic Club, Rayo Vallecano, Valladolid and Girona in the first five La Liga fixtures of the campaign. Only three other clubs in Europe's top leagues have 100% records so far: Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have won their opening four games and Bayern Munich have recorded three wins in three matches. 

It is the fifth time since the start of the century that Barça have begun the campaign with fives wins in five matches in the league. Previously Pep Guardiola's team in 2009/10, Tito Vilanova's in 2012/13, Tata Martino's in 2013/14 and Ernesto Valverde side of 2017/18 all took 15 points from a possible 15.

When the blaugranes have won six of the seven league titles when they have started with five wins - only in 2013/14 did they fail to win La Liga, losing out to Atlético Madrid on the last day of the season. 

Top scorers in Europe's major leagues

The 15 points have come along with no less than 17 goals in 5 matches for the blaugranes, a total not reached since the 2017/18 season under Ernesto Valverde. We have to go back to the 1987/88 season to find a better figure when the team scored 18 goals in their first five league games. 

The 17 goals scored place Barça just ahead of PSG on 16 and Celta Vigo on 13 in the goalscoring table of Europe's top league, although the French club have played a game less than the two La Liga clubs.