Barcelona match 25-year record for early goals after Cancelo strike

Barcelona scored inside the opening eight minutes for a fourth consecutive official match as Joao Cancelo’s powerful finish set them on their way against Racing Santander on Wednesday evening.

The Portuguese full-back opened the scoring in the eighth minute of the La Liga meeting at Barcelona’s home ground, continuing the club’s notable run of fast starts this season.

According to statistics from Mister Chip, Barcelona have now found the net within the first eight minutes in four successive competitive fixtures. The sequence began against Valencia, followed by Feyenoord and Levante, before Cancelo’s goal against Racing Santander.

It is the first time Barcelona have produced such a run for 25 years. Their previous sequence came in 2001.

The earlier achievement was recorded between 10 and 24 June 2001, when Barcelona scored early against Valladolid, Valencia and Celta Vigo in two consecutive matches.

Pep Guardiola scored after three minutes against Valladolid, while Rivaldo struck in the third minute against Valencia. Simao then scored in the sixth minute, before Patrick Kluivert added another in the fourth minute against Celta Vigo.

Barcelona’s latest run underlines their attacking start to the current campaign, with the side repeatedly breaking through early and combining that sharpness in front of goal with a series of victories across different competitions.