Twenty-nine time La Liga champs Barcelona and 36-time champs Real Madrid - two arch-rivals - have sat at the pinnacle of Spanish football for many years, but the start of the season suggests a very different story in terms of their performance on the pitch. Of course, whatever the result of their last game, the expectation is always going to be that they will always come out on top.
The pressure is on the Los Blancos, though, with two trophy-less seasons (2024-25 and 2025-26), and their start to the season (18 pts in 9 matches, 4th in the table) is not looking good at all. Time is running out for them to get back on track, as Barcelona are absolutely flying in the league (8 wins in 8 matches, 1st in the league).
Barcelona have their own demons to slay in terms of the Champions League title, having last won it in 2014-15. It's quite a fall for a club of their calibre to go through such a long dry spell.
With Hansi Flick bringing a real sense of stability to the club over the past two seasons, this time around it feels like the chances have improved. Barcelona's goal-scoring spree this season is unmatched, and there is a massive gap between them and other teams in Europe.
Most goals so far this season in the Top 5 leagues
Barcelona - 34
{{/usCountry}}Barcelona - 34
{{/usCountry}}Real Madrid -19
Inter -18
Brighton - 18
Atletico Madrid -18
Manchester City - 16
Bayern Munich -16
Florentino Perez made the bold move to bring Jose Mourinho back to Santiago Bernabeu and he was backed by big money to fill in the gaps they were missing in the last couple of years. Mourinho focused particularly on strengthening their defensive line, signing Marc Cucurella for 69.3 million USD. Ibrahima Konate arrived on a free transfer from Liverpool, respectively, while Inter wing-back Denzel Dumfries followed for a bargain 22.7 million USD.
Meanwhile, the two signings that made the most noise were Bernardo Silva’s arrival as a free agent and the big-money move for Ivory Coast wing sensation Yan Diomande, who had exploded onto the scene with RB Leipzig and his national team in 2026, attracting interest from Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool and several other top clubs, but eventually Madrid broke the bank for him. They also activated Carlos Espí’s 29 million USD release clause at Levante to bring him in as Gonzalo Garcia’s replacement for a super sub.
However, the missing piece in their jigsaw - Rodri, whom they went after and almost signed, went to Barcelona.
The performances of the defensive enforcers Mourinho signed have been up to the mark, with Cucurella being a bit of a saving grace, while Dumfries and Konate have yet to earn the manager's confidence to be starters.
According to Opta Analyst, across eight appearances, Cucurella has averaged 3.41 tackles, 3.98 ground duels, and 0.76 aerial duels. Dumfries has averaged 2.36 tackles, 2.79 ground duels and 0.76 aerial duels in seven appearances, while Konate, also featuring in seven matches, has recorded one tackle, 0.86 ground duels and 1.71 aerial duels on average.
However, the main problems lie in their attack. The team is being forced to rely on Kylian Mbappe, while Vinicius Jr is struggling. Even after three seasons together, the two have not formed a strong partnership. Both prefer to play on the left wing, so one has to adjust.
Past coaches like Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso, and Alvaro Arbeloa could not solve this, and now Mourinho faces the same challenge. The right wing is also a worry, as there is no real goal threat from that side. Arda Guller brings creativity, whether he plays on the right or in midfield, but goals are still missing from that position.
Mbappe has scored seven goals in eight appearances for Real Madrid, registering an xG (Expected Goals) of 8.85 from 44 shots, 24 of which have been on target. Vinicius, meanwhile, has scored once in eight appearances despite an xG of 3.05, managing 23 shots with seven on target. While the new signing Diomande has also scored once from five shots.
On the other hand, Barcelona kicked off their summer by signing Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon for around 81.7 million USD, signalling their intent to be active in the transfer window.
They brought in Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund for 25.2 million USD and Belgian prospect Jesse Bisiwu from Club Brugge for 9.7 million USD. Their biggest move was signing Manchester City midfielder Rodri for about 87 million USD, beating Real Madrid to the deal. Joao Cancelo returned from Al Hilal on a free transfer. Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic arrived from Fenerbahce for 2.3 million USD. In the final days, they secured Gabriel Jesus, wrapping up a busy summer for the Catalan giants.
This season, Barcelona's attack has just clicked. Gordon, for instance, may have scored only once this season but his work in setting up his teammates has been absolutely vital to Flick's system.
The energy he brings is precisely what Barca were missing. Players like Rashford had pace, but they didn't have anyone willing to go and chase back and do the hard yards. Gordon is that player.
Barcelona’s attacking players have been far more productive than their Real Madrid counterparts, with Raphinha leading the way with 12 goals in seven appearances, well above his xG of 8.84. Lamine Yamal has added seven goals in eight appearances, slightly outperforming his xG of 6.32, while Fermín López has scored four from an xG of 2.81. Karim Adeyemi has scored twice despite an xG of 4.23, while Anthony Gordon has managed one goal from an xG of 2.32. Raphinha’s clinical finishing and the contributions of Yamal and Fermín underline Barcelona’s attacking edge.
Rodri was brought this season to provide the calmness and stability Barcelona need in a defensive midfielder. As we saw during the World Cup, he isn't someone who can just break up attacks. His ability to dictate possession and slow the game when needed is just as important.
Rodri has completed 487 of his 515 open-play passes at a 94.6 per cent success rate, including 122 of 133 passes in the final third. This also frees up Pedri to be Barcelona’s creative force, completing 437 of 473 open-play passes at 92.4 per cent accuracy and recording 12 through balls in eight appearances.
Yamal, meanwhile, has attempted 220 passes in the final third, completing 150, and leads the trio with 14 through balls. While his overall passing accuracy stands at 79.8 per cent, his involvement in the final third highlights his role in creating attacking opportunities.
The massive gap between the two teams currently only shows that Real still have a lot of things to sort out. The season is long but given the rate at which Barcelona are widening the gap, Mourinho's team will have to get it together sooner rather than