Hitting the ground running: Barcelona’s fast starts paying dividends

Barcelona players are celebrating a marked improvement in their early-game concentration compared to last season.

The Catalan giants have netted an impressive total of 34 goals across La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, evenly split with 17 goals in each half.

Most notably, they have scored 11 goals in just the first 31 minutes of matches, with their latest early strike coming at Mendizorroza against Alaves – a game during which Barça netted all their goals before half-time.

The earliest goal of the season came from Robert Lewandowski, who found the net just seven minutes into the Alaves match. The Polish striker also contributed to another early goal in the Champions League against Young Boys, scoring in the eighth minute.

The team’s remarkable early-game scoring trend has been seen in the games against Getafe (19th minute), and Villarreal and Valladolid (both 20th minute).

Apart from the eighth-minute strike, Alaves again conceded in the 22nd and 31st minutes, while Athletic Club and Valladolid were breached in the 24th minute.

AS Monaco and Girona fell victim to Barcelona’s early pressure in the 28th and 30th minutes respectively.

These early goals have proven crucial to Barcelona’s success, with all but one leading to victory – the sole exception being the goal vs Monaco.

Speaking about this trend after Sunday’s win against Alaves, midfielder Marc Casado said:

“The team comes out plugged in every game, it’s something we’ve worked very hard on. We know that every game is a war and that we have to go out there at 100%.”

As Barcelona look to build on their early-season success, maintaining this level of intensity will be vital in their quest for silverware. The focus on starting strong has not only paid off in terms of goals but has also instilled a sense of confidence within the squad.

With key players like Lewandowski leading the charge, the team is well-positioned to continue exploiting their opponents’ weaknesses from the outset.