Opinion: Why Barcelona are destined for success over Real Madrid this season

The start to the 2025/26 season has not been the most ideal for FC Barcelona , with injuries hampering the team aplenty.

A number of their important players have had stints out on the sidelines, while several are still unavailable for Hansi Flick to call upon.

Sunday’s 3-1 win over Elche saw them return to winning ways in La Liga after losing to Real Madrid in El Clasico a week before. The Catalans are still five points behind Xabi Alonso’s men in the table.

Despite all the injury problems, especially in the attacking unit, Barcelona have been a force to reckon with going forward.

Indeed, even though they have had half of their attacking line injured for much of the start of the season, the Blaugrana have scored 28 goals in 11 league matches .

Barcelona’s tally is two more than current La Liga leaders Real Madrid (26) , four more than Ligue 1 and European champions PSG and Serie A giants Inter Milan (24 each) , and eight more than Manchester City.

In fact, among Europe’s top five leagues, only Bayern Munich have better attacking numbers, with 33 goals in their first nine Bundesliga fixtures.

The achievement is particularly impressive given that Flick’s side have reached such attacking heights despite an ongoing injury crisis.

Players such as Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski have struggled for consistency due to physical problems, with the Brazilian still yet to return after suffering a relapse that prolonged his absence.

Ferran Torres has also missed several matches because of hamstring discomfort, while Lamine Yamal has been dealing with pubic bone issues for nearly two months, keeping him sidelined for three weeks.

Even with all these setbacks, Barcelona remain one of the most prolific teams in Europe.

Contributions from everyone. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Ferran is the club’s top scorer in La Liga with five goals, followed by Lewandowski with four, and Raphinha , Lamine Yamal , and Fermin Lopez with three each.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid have been heavily reliant on Kylian Mbappe, who has scored 13 goals in La Liga this season – half their entire tally.

While Real Madrid are still leaning on Mbappe’s individual brilliance to bail them out, Barcelona are producing goals through structure, not streaks.

In total, eleven different players have scored for Barcelona during the first eleven league matches. This diversity makes them unpredictable. Opponents cannot entirely key in on one threat because the danger comes from every angle.

Barcelona’s offensive streak tells its own story: 50 consecutive official matches with at least one goal. Even when they’re missing players, even when they are not at their best, they score. That is more than good form – it is a habit.

It is true that Barcelona have not been at their brilliant best like last season – there have been concerns about the defensive system not working efficiently, while the number of injuries has also become a big headache.

Despite the situation being as it is, Flick & co. continue to churn out positive results, barring a couple of missteps along the way. They remain relentless in attack, as seen by the numbers, and with a fully-fit squad, the team is bound to take it up a notch.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, are one injury or cold streak away from being exposed. A five-point lead is a significant one, no doubt, but not even a third of the season has been played yet. And La Liga is a marathon, not a sprint.