Barcelona beat Real Betis 5-2 in Seville on Saturday 17 October to win their first nine La Liga matches and equal Real Madrid’s record for the best start to a league season. MARCA report that Hansi Flick’s side can move clear of the mark in their next league fixture, against their rivals in the Clásico.
Barcelona draw level with Real Madrid’s record
The nine consecutive victories match Real Madrid’s opening run from the 1968-69 campaign. Miguel Muñoz coached Los Blancos through that sequence, which ended when they drew 0-0 with Pontevedra on matchday 10.
Barcelona now have the chance to claim the record outright, with Real Madrid standing between them and a tenth straight league win. The run has grown match by match, including a comeback victory over Sevilla earlier in the campaign.
The achievement is a specific one: Barcelona have matched Real Madrid’s record for consecutive wins from the start of a La Liga season. The 5-2 result at La Cartuja brought the Catalans to nine; the historical comparison is the Madrid side’s nine wins before its draw with Pontevedra.
The record is in reach before the Clásico
Barcelona’s next league opponent is Real Madrid, with the Clásico scheduled for Sunday 25 October at Spotify Camp Nou. That gives Flick’s side a direct opportunity to pass the record against the team whose 1968-69 start set it.
The Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona – Photo: Fish-guts at de.wikipedia
The meeting also arrives with the sides’ rivalry and the league campaign in view. The upcoming Clásico will be a key fixture in the La Liga title fight, according to MARCA’s report.
Barcelona have also won both of their Champions League matches so far, against Feyenoord and Galatasaray. Those European results add to the season’s strong opening, but the nine-win benchmark concerns league matches only.
PSG visit comes before Real Madrid
Before the Clásico, Barcelona are scheduled to visit Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday 20 October. MARCA describe PSG as the current European champions, making the trip an immediate test between Barcelona’s record-equalling league result and the chance to extend the run.
Real Madrid follow at Spotify Camp Nou on Sunday 25 October. Barcelona can make the record their own with a victory, while a draw or defeat would leave the nine-win mark level with Muñoz’s side.