Barcelona’s flying start raises fears for Mourinho’s Real Madrid

Barcelona have made a perfect start to the season, beating Feyenoord 5-1 at Spotify Camp Nou on Wednesday to make it five wins from five competitive matches and underline the scale of the challenge facing Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid.

The victory came in Barcelona’s opening game of the UEFA Champions League campaign and extended a remarkable run of attacking form under Hansi Flick. The Catalan side have scored 22 goals and conceded only three across their first five matches.

That represents a clear improvement on their equivalent start last season, when Barcelona won four of their opening five games and drew the other. They scored 15 goals and conceded four during that sequence.

Barcelona’s first five results last season were a 3-0 win away to Mallorca, a 3-2 victory against Levante, a 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano, a 6-0 win over Valencia and a 2-1 success against Newcastle in their opening Champions League fixture. They collected 10 points from a possible 12 in La Liga during that period.

Their results this term have been even more emphatic: a 5-0 win at Elche, a 2-0 victory against Athletic Club, a 5-2 triumph over Rayo Vallecano, a 5-0 success at Valencia and Wednesday’s 5-1 win against Feyenoord.

The comparison is stark. Barcelona have taken all 12 available points from their first four La Liga matches this season, while scoring 22 goals in all competitions and allowing only three. Their goal difference has improved from plus-11 last season to plus-19, and their average goals per game has risen from three to 4.4.

They have also kept three clean sheets, compared with two at the same stage last season.

The difference has been just as pronounced away from home. Barcelona scored seven goals and conceded three in their first three La Liga away games last season, drawing once. This season, they have played twice away in the league and have scored 10 goals without conceding.

Raphinha has been central to that attacking surge. The Brazil international scored six goals in Barcelona’s first four La Liga games before adding two more against Feyenoord, making him the leading statistical figure in the club’s fast start.

The team’s attacking output has remained potent despite the summer departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, while Barcelona were also unable to complete a move for Julian Alvarez. Those developments had raised concerns among supporters about a possible lack of options at centre-forward, but Raphinha in particular has helped ease those fears.

Real Madrid, during the same stage of Jose Mourinho’s second spell in charge, have also played five competitive matches. They beat Espanyol 2-1, Real Sociedad 4-1 and Malaga 4-0, lost 1-0 to Real Betis, then defeated Inter Milan 2-1. Their record is therefore four wins and one defeat, with 12 goals scored and four conceded.

In La Liga, Real Madrid have taken nine points from their opening four matches and sit third, while Barcelona lead the table with 12 points.

The first clasico of the season will be played on 25 October at Spotify Camp Nou and is expected to provide the clearest measure yet of both teams’ strength.

For now, however, Barcelona’s early-season momentum will be a major concern in the Madrid camp. Mourinho, in particular, faces the task of overcoming the formidable side created by Flick, which already appears to be producing its most intimidating football of the season.