Coming into the 2022/23 season, Spanish powerhouse FC Barcelona were looking shaky and far from their earlier glory days. With recent club legends Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar long gone, the Blaugrana were looking desolate and devoid of any hope for the years to come. The previous 2021/22 campaign was particularly depressing for Barca fans, as the side accumulated a mere 73 points in the La Liga. To put that into context, that had been their least total points since the 2007/08 season where they collected 67 points.
Along with domestic failure, the Blaugrana’s performances on the European stage have been looking lackluster as well. Last season’s UEFA Champions League campaign saw Barca knocked out of the group stage for the first time since 2000.
In addition to poor performances on the pitch, constant front office changes also devasted Barcelona fans around the world. Former club captain and legendary Spanish midfielder Xavi was appointed as Barca boss in November of 2021. At the time, he was the 4th Barcelona manager in just under 2 years! The Catalonian side had not had that many managerial changes within 2 years since June of 2003.
However, Barcelona in the 2022/23 season have completely steam-rolled the La Liga and look to finally be returning to their state of Spanish dominance. Despite their second consecutive group stage exit in the Champions League, Barcelona’s domestic success has restored all faith in the Catalonian side. Xavi has managed to galvanize his side into performing at a record-breaking level!
Let’s take a look at Barcelona’s 2022/23 season by numbers so far!
Barcelona in La Liga
Barcelona currently sit at 1st place on a total of 71 points, second placed Real Madrid are 15 points behind.
Xavi’s side have scored the most goals in La Liga this season with 53. They have also conceded the least amount of goals in Spain’s top-flight with a mere 9 goals! The 9 goals conceded by Barca’s defense is also the least amount of goals conceded in all of Europe’s top 5 leagues. Only Napoli are close with 16 goals conceded for this season. The Blaugrana’s elite goal different is a net positive of 44, which is the 4th best in Europe’s top 5 leagues.
Interestingly, Barcelona are yet to score a goal from the penalty spot in the league. They’ve been awarded 2 penalties and missed both. They have also not had an own goal scored against them this season.
Current Pichichi Award leader: Robert Lewandowski. This is an award given to the most prolific goal-scorer in the La Liga by Spanish newspaper Marca. The Polish striker has 17 goals so far this season. He also leads the league in total goal contributions with 23 goals and assists.
Current Zamora Trophy leader: Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. This prize is also awarded by Spanish newspaper Marca and is given to the goal-keeper with the lowest goals conceded to game ratio. The Blaugrana’s keeper has kept 20 clean sheets so far this season. The second most clean sheets kept in La Liga this season is 10, Real Sociedad goal-keeper Alex Romeiro and Atletico Madrid goal-keeper Jan Oblak are tied in second place. In fact, Ter Stegen has kept the most clean sheets in Europe’s top 5 leagues, with Lazio goal-keeper Ivan Provedel the closest with 16 so far this season. Barcelona’s 4-0 victory against bottom placed Elche was Ter Stegen’s 150th career clean sheet!
In comparison to last season’s disaster-class, Barcelona’s total acquired points is extremely impressive. The Catalonian outlet have 71 points with 11 games to go, last season they finished with 73 total points. The maximum points that Xavi’s side can achieve this season is 104, which would break their all time record of 100 points acquired in the 2012/13 season. Funnily enough, Xavi was vice-captain in that season!
Xavi’s domestic success has been remarkable. The Bluagrana’s boss has won 40 La Liga matches in his first 53 league games in charge. This is the 2nd most of all time, with Pep Guardiola’s 39 wins placing him in and Luis Enrique sitting on top with 41 victories.
Barcelona are undefeated at home this season, with 11 wins and 2 draws in their 13 La Liga matches in the Camp Nou. The only other undefeated home sides in Europe’s top 5 leagues are Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Union Berlin. Away from their home turf Barca have been remarkable too, with 12 league wins. This is tied with Napoli’s 12 away victories for the most away wins in Europe’s top 5 leagues.
Barcelona in Cup Competitions
The UEFA Champions League seems to still be a competition which curses Xavi’s side. In the 2022/23 UCL campaign, the Spanish outfit came 3rd in the group where Bayern Munich and Inter Milan progressed to the knockout stage. Barca were then knocked out of the Round of 32 of the Europa League to English giants Manchester United.
Despite the lack of success in Europe’s most esteemed continental competition, Barca have been almost flawless in cup competitions this season. In the Copa del Rey, the Blaugrana currently hold a 1-0 lead on aggregate against fierce rivals Real Madrid in the competition’s semi-final. The second leg of this tie will be played on the 5th of April in the Camp Nou.
The Catalonian’s run-in into the semi final saw them dispatch third tier sides CF Intercity and AD Ceuta FC in the Round of 32 and Round of 16 respectively. Following this, Xavi’s men defeated current 4th placed Real Sociedad 1-0 in the quarter-final of the competition.
Barca’s success has extended to the Supercopa. Barcelona defeated Real Betis in the semi-final of the competition and destroyed Real Madrid 3-1 in the tournament’s final.
Barcelona’s Potential Trophy Haul
If Xavi’s men maintain their composure and go on to win Spain’s top-flight competition, it would be their first La Liga trophy since the 2018/19 season. Unbelievably too, it would be the Blaugrana’s first La Liga title without Lionel Messi since 1999!
Not only could Barcelona win La Liga, a treble is very much on the cards for Xavi’s side. Given they’ve already won the Supercopa de Espana, hold a 15 point lead in the league and are ahead in their semi-final El Clasico clash in the Copa del Rey, Barca could win their first treble since the 2014/15 season. A domestic treble has been more evasive for Barca, and if Xavi manages to win all 3 of Spain’s major trophies, it would be Barcelona’s first domestic treble since 2009.
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Whilst I appreciate that the title is clickbait, it is quite preposterous to suggest that Barcelona are the best team in Europe. They didn’t even make it out of the group stage in the Champions League, and they lost to 3rd place PL side Manchester United in the Europa League. Great side? Sure. Best in Europe? No chance. 365 do me a favour and allocate all of this guy’s 10Bis to the person who sits to his left, just an idea.