Stats to be optimistic in the Champions League

FC Barcelona are having a fabulous Champions League so far, crowned by a magnificent victory over Benfica on Tuesday at the Estadi Olimpic to seal passage into the last eight of the competition. It only gets more difficult from here on, but judging by the way things have gone so far, Hansi Flick and his men have every reason to feel optimistic about their chances of going all the way.

Most wins

Barça have won eight games they have played so far, a tally that only Real Madrid, Inter and Bayern Munich. That achievement is even more significant when we note that Madrid and Bayern have both played two games more because they also had to negotiate a playoff.

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Firepower

Barça have scored 32 goals in ten games played to date, which works out at an extraordinary 3.2 a game. That's four more than the next teams on the list, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and Bayern, with 28 each.

Raphinha and Lewandowski

The top scoring team also has the highest goalscorer in Raphinha, who now has 11 following his brace on Tuesday. The player in second is one of the Borussia Dortmund squad who Barça will be meeting next, Serhou Guirassy, with 10 goals scored in two games more, with Robert Lewandowski in fourth with nine.  

Set pieces are key

No fewer than 10 of the 32 goals that Barça have scored have come from dead ball situations. The two German 'survivors', Bayern and Borussia Dortmund are one behind on nine.

But Barça are also the side that has received the fewest yellow cards, just 10, a shockingly different number to the 30 bookings that have gone Real Madrid's way.