Barcelona’s perfect La Liga start puts Feyenoord on alert before Champions League opener

Barcelona’s outstanding start to the La Liga season has attracted attention well beyond Spain, with Dutch media warning Feyenoord that they face a major challenge when the two sides meet in the Champions League.

The first match of the 2026-27 Champions League campaign at Camp Nou will take place on Wednesday, when Barcelona host Feyenoord. The Catalan club have made an emphatic beginning to their domestic season, collecting 12 points from a possible 12 and scoring 17 goals while conceding only two in their opening four league matches.

That form has prompted widespread praise in the Netherlands. Dutch magazine Voetbal described Feyenoord’s task as a “difficult challenge” against a “near-perfect” Barcelona, according to a report by Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo.

Barcelona, managed by Hansi Flick, strengthened their position at the top of La Liga with a 5-0 victory over Valencia on Sunday. Following that result, one of the Netherlands’ leading sports magazines said: “Feyenoord must be careful, as Barcelona are enjoying one of the best starts to a season in the club’s history.”

The publication also highlighted the number of goals Barcelona have scored, noting: “Barcelona have only scored more goals after four matches in the 1949-50 season, when they had 19, and the 1950-51 season, when they had 21.”

Despite their attacking performance, the Dutch outlet pointed to one area where Barcelona could still improve, adding: “It is remarkable that, despite their extraordinary goalscoring ability, Barcelona still need a classic number nine. Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez was the leading candidate for that position, but the deal did not happen.”

There will also be particular interest in Feyenoord’s visiting squad because of the presence of Algeria winger Anis Hadj Moussa, one of the Dutch club’s most prominent players.

Hadj Moussa was close to becoming the most expensive sale in Feyenoord’s history, with a potential transfer worth 40m euros. However, the Saudi Pro League’s summer transfer window closed on Sunday without a deal being completed with Al-Ittihad.

The Algeria international trained normally with Feyenoord on Monday and is expected to travel with the squad to Barcelona on Tuesday ahead of the club’s opening Champions League fixture.

Barcelona’s early-season record has therefore created a significant contrast between the two teams’ current narratives. While the hosts arrive after a four-match winning start and with 17 league goals already scored, Feyenoord will attempt to produce a result capable of challenging the reputation Barcelona have built during the opening weeks of the campaign.

The match at Camp Nou is the first Champions League meeting of the 2026-27 season for both sides.

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