Dominant Barcelona defend their title

For the first time in the history of LaLiga, Barcelona clinched the title by winning El Clasico. Their 2-0 victory over Real Madrid on Sunday, courtesy of brilliant early goals from Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres, put the seal on a season they have largely dominated in Spain.

The Catalans have already eclipsed their 88-point tally in Hansi Flick’s first campaign. Should they win their final three matches, they’d end up on a joint-record 100 points. That tally has only been reached twice previously in LaLiga: by Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid in the 2011/12 season and Tito Vilanova’s Barcelona the following year, with those the only teams to have hit three figures.

There are many factors that have contributed to Barca’s ability to ultimately pull well clear of Los Blancos. A greater sense of squad unity is clearly one, as the events of the past week in the Spanish capital have so clearly and so publicly demonstrated.

However, there have also been specific areas across the pitch, where improvements have been evident at Barcelona this season.

A more decisive Lamine

The 2025/26 campaign may be remembered as the one where Lamine Yamal graduated into the outright leader in Barcelona’s attack. Having finished with fewer goal contributions than Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha last term, the 18-year-old has been the most decisive player this time around.

His 16-goal return in LaLiga is the joint-most in this squad, along with Ferran Torres. It’s the first time the winger has passed double figures for league goals. Given his shots-per-game average has only increased from 4.1 in 2024/25 to 4.2 this season, there are clear signs that Lamine is now a more clinical and more efficient finisher.

His creative output remains similar. No player in the Spanish top flight can better his tally of 11 assists and that’s despite the Barca youngster only starting 26 of his team’s 35 league fixtures due to fitness issues.

Attacking depth proves key

Given Raphinha has also endured an injury-ravaged season, arguably the most significant ingredient in Barcelona’s 29th league title has been their attacking depth. With 37-year-old Lewandowski a declining force, Flick has really needed other players to regularly step up and make important contributions in the final third.

While doubts remain about his future beyond this season, the loan signing of Rashford has to be viewed as a success. With eight goals and seven assists, the Englishman has averaged a goal contribution every 106 minutes in the league.

Seven other players in this Barca squad have also passed 10 goal contributions. Fermin Lopez is another graduate of La Masia to have enjoyed his most decisive campaign, while Dano Olmo has had his best-ever season in terms of goals and assists in one of Europe’s big-five leagues.

The same goes for Ferran, whose 16-goal league return is comfortably the highest of his career to date. Even youngster Roony Bardghji has shown flashes of quality and provided useful cover for Lamine on the right flank.

Versatile Eric shows his worth

It’s not just in the final third where Flick has managed to nurture young talent and get more out of players that at one point or another might have been deemed short of the quality needed to thrive at a club like Barcelona.

Eric Garcia has been one of the undisputed success stories this term. The 25-year-old appeared to have not much of a long-term future at Camp Nou when he was loaned out to Girona in 2023.

However, he has excelled in various positions this term, with Eric popping up at right-back and in central midfield, as well as in a more familiar central defensive role. With 30 starts in LaLiga and 10 in the Champions League, it’s clear just how highly Flick values a player who has not featured for the Spanish national side since 2022.

Despite initial concerns about Barcelona’s backline following the departure of Iñigo Martinez last summer, the Catalans now boast the best defensive record in LaLiga. They’ve only conceded 0.89 goals per game, compared to 1.03 goals per game in the 2024/25 season.

Smart business – The right call made in goal

With limited funds available in terms of bolstering the squad, Barcelona have needed to do smart business in the transfer market. While Joan Garcia always looked like good value when he was signed from rivals Espanyol for €25m early last summer, the decision to move on from long-serving number one Marc-Andre ter Stegen was still a bold one.

Nearly one year on, it’s clear that was the right call. After an incredibly assured first season with Barca, Garcia looks like the long-term solution in between the sticks for the Catalan giants.

Having saved 80.2% of the attempts on target he has faced, the 25-year-old has the highest save percentage in LaLiga. His clean sheet rate also stands at a league-high 51.7%, while it’s perhaps no coincidence that two of Barca’s four league defeats came when he was absent.

With Garcia now firmly part of a talented young core, the future looks bright at Camp Nou. The Blaugrana will be the team to beat in Spain again heading into the 2026/27 season.