Barcelona prove in El Clasico they’re becoming the team many thought Real Madrid would be with Kylian Mbappe

The contrasts between Barcelona and Real Madrid were hard to ignore over the summer when the former seemingly lagged behind the latter in every meaningful category. Barcelona had just finished a trophyless season 10 points behind Real Madrid, who went on to win La Liga and the UEFA Champions League while creating a sense of inevitable victory every time they played. Things appeared to trend in the same direction for another year as Real Madrid landed Kylian Mbappe while financial woes meant they needed a loophole to register Euro champion Dani Olmo. The drama that led to Xavi’s sudden firing and Hansi Flick’s hire only added to the chaos that has defined Barcelona in recent years.

And yet, Barcelona left Santiago Bernabeu Stadium with a resounding 4-0 victory on Saturday in El Clasico, a result that offered validation for several decisions the club has made in recent years.

The most immediate, of course, was Flick’s appointment. Barcelona have emerged as an attacking force in his early days on the job, leading La Liga with 37 goals in 11 league games – 16 more than the next best, Real Madrid. Flick’s side averages 3.4 goals per game, up from last season’s 2.1, and also takes about two more shots a game and musters 0.5 more expected goals per match.

Their offensive efforts are helped by their defensive stability, reducing their goals-against average from 2.5 last year to 0.9 this year. It is a particularly impressive feat considering the unique demands of Flick’s style but as goalkeeper Inaki Pena identified post-match on Saturday, the plan is undoubtedly working.

“We have shown we are capable of beating any team,” Pena said, per DAZN. “We have changed the mentality, the team has improved a lot. We are scoring a tremendous amount of goals. And we have to enjoy this. The very first day the boss told us that our defensive line cannot move backwards. It’s his style. And Barca’s play for many years has been to keep the defensive line as high as possible. We’ve done it against such speedy and powerful players this week, which shows we’ve been doing good work, the boss’ ideas have fit with us. For me, it’s dangerous to play with so many meters [of space] behind them and you’re on your own. But it’s all reflected in the number of offsides.”

Flick’s adjustments have allowed Barcelona to survive the challenges their squad – and those who build it – have faced in recent years. For starters, the team is dealing with a little bit of an injury crisis – Pena is filling in for Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who is out with a knee injury, while Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo are among those also on the injury list. Several players have stepped up to fill in the gaps, though, while Flick is getting the most out of a wide range of players.

Lamine Yamal has been one of Barcelona’s standouts this season, unsurprisingly so after bursting onto the scene a year ago. The 17-year-old midfielder now has five goals and seven assists this season, including his 77th-minute strike against Real Madrid over the weekend. The new face of Barcelona, their best player, is also the face of the club’s modern recruitment tool – the academy. A financial crisis may have complicated things in recent years but Barcelona’s youth was always a source of optimism, and perhaps the most clear-cut way to stay competitive with a high-spending Real Madrid.

Flick is getting equal productivity out of veteran Robert Lewandowski, who leads La Liga’s scoring charts with 14 goals this season, just five short of his total last season. It marks a remarkable uptick in output for the 36-year-old striker, who was in no way considered a long-term fix when Barcelona signed him two years ago but is playing a crucial part in their success this season, including with a brace in El Clasico. Lewandowski’s goal count is not the only thing trending upwards – his expected goals per game is up from 0.5 to 1.2 and he’s averaging four shots per game, more than last season’s 2.7, making this by far his best campaign since joining Barcelona.

The biggest surprise of Barcelona’s unexpectedly successful start to the season, though, is Raphina’s form. His move from Leeds United in 2022 was one of several head-scratching transfers Barcelona made in their cash-strapped era and struggled to leave his mark on the team at first. He did not score more than 10 goals a season in his first two years at Barcelona and also went goalless in his first 10 UEFA Champions League games, but the Brazil international is enjoying a star-making turn this season. He scored his 10th goal of the season in El Clasico and now has seven assists after setting up Yamal on Saturday. He’s averaging a goal or assist every 68 minutes, finding impressive form at a crucial moment for Barcelona.

The individual brilliance has allowed Barcelona to pass nearly every test they have faced so far this season, coming out on an incredible high after an important week. A few days before they put four past Real Madrid, they notched a 4-1 win over Bayern Munich in Champions League play and now have a six-point lead atop La Liga. It is still early in this season’s trophy chase but their astounding start makes them easy frontrunners to lift the title in Spain and the team to keep an eye on in Europe.

Naturally, it is hard not to draw comparisons to Real Madrid but unlike the summer, every measurement tilts in Barcelona’s favor. Barcelona are the attacking juggernaut most expected Real Madrid to be, with Saturday’s losers now locked in a game of catch-up in the league. Barcelona are the team that could upend the two-horse race between Real Madrid and Manchester City many expected the Champions League campaign to be. Barcelona, most impressively, may be developing the feeling of certain victory that defined Real Madrid a year ago.