Opinions, analysis and commentary
Real Madrid’s nine straight wins in 1968-69 remain the better achievement, even though Hansi Flick’s Barcelona have matched the club’s best opening with eight wins from eight. Barcelona have scored far more goals and lead the table by five points, while Madrid faced tougher opposition and won more narrowly. Both starts deserve credit, though they were built in very different eras. Goals, opposition and squad depth each pull the verdict a different way, but the quality of the schedule tips it towards Madrid.
Miguel Muñoz’s team opened 1968-69 with nine consecutive league victories. They included a 5-3 against Sabadell, a 4-2 against Deportivo La Coruña and a 2-1 against Barcelona, plus a 1-0 over Atlético Madrid. In total, that meant 21 goals for and eight against. Two of the wins came against fellow heavyweights, Atlético Madrid and Barcelona, with Barcelona finishing third that year.
Narrow results defined the run: five of the nine were settled by one goal, and four of the wins came on the road, with Deportivo, Athletic, Valencia and Atlético the hosts. Seven different players scored, though Amancio alone supplied 10 of the 21. The streak finally broke with a goalless draw in Pontevedra in round ten. Muñoz’s men still lifted the title after collecting 47 points across 30 matches, in a 16-club league where a victory earned only two points.
Barcelona have beaten Elche and Valencia 5-0 away, Rayo Vallecano 5-2 and Getafe 3-0, alongside Athletic Club, Levante, Racing Santander and Sevilla. The tally stands at 34 goals for and seven against, a difference of +27, which keeps them five points ahead of second-placed Atlético Madrid. At least three of the eight brought five goals, and Flick’s side also remain unbeaten in every competition.
Raphinha leads with 12 league goals, ahead of Lamine Yamal on seven and Fermín López on four. The other 11 are shared around the squad, and Jules Koundé, Gabriel Jesus and Anthony Gordon all scored against Getafe. Raphinha’s share is the largest, yet barely over a third of the whole.
Per game, Barcelona score 4.25 and concede 0.88, while Madrid scored 2.33 and conceded 0.89. Flick’s goal difference of +27 is more than double the +13 of Muñoz’s side.
Defensively, the margins are almost identical, with seven conceded in eight matches for Barcelona and eight in nine for Madrid. The comparison therefore comes down to what each side did at the other end, and whether goals scored against weaker or stronger opponents deserve equal credit.
| Metric | Barcelona 2026 | Real Madrid 1968-69 |
| Wins | 8 from 8 | 9 from 9 |
| Goals scored | 34 | 21 |
| Goals conceded | 7 | 8 |
| Top scorer | Raphinha (12) | Amancio (10) |
| Manager | Hansi Flick | Miguel Muñoz |
Opposition strength favours Madrid by a distance. Their nine opponents finished with an average league position of 8.6 in a division of 16, and five of them ended up in the top eight, Barcelona third, Sabadell fourth and Valencia fifth. Barcelona’s eight victims currently average a placing of 13.5 in the 20-club table as it stood on 9 October, and the sole top-half sides are Sevilla in fifth and Athletic in tenth.
These positions are provisional rather than final, and every defeat against Barcelona pushes an opponent lower, so the gap should be read as a guide. Gerardo Martino’s Barcelona opened 2013-14 with eight wins from eight as well, which means Flick has drawn level with the club mark rather than passed it. Seen that way, they have equalled history without yet matching its difficulty.
On pure dominance, Barcelona win, since their goals per game are close to double Madrid’s with no extra cost defensively. Reliance on one scorer is a milder concern than the totals suggest: Amancio supplied 48% of Madrid’s goals, against 35% for Raphinha at Barcelona.
Madrid’s start is still the greater achievement for now, because it brought one extra win, tougher opponents and a diet of tight scorelines that are harder to repeat. Real Betis, who sat third on 9 October, will be the first top-four side Barcelona face, and a victory there would level the Barcelona La Liga 2026 record start Real Madrid debate at nine wins.
Which counts for more, Barcelona’s four-goal swagger or Madrid’s grit in tight games? Tell us in the comments.
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How long was Real Madrid’s winning start to the 1968-69 season?
Real Madrid won their opening nine league games under Miguel Muñoz, a record that still stands. The streak stopped with a goalless draw at Pontevedra in the tenth round.
How many La Liga games has Barcelona won so far this season?
Barcelona have taken maximum points from all eight league games under Hansi Flick. The latest was a 3-0 victory over Getafe on 10 October, which left them five points clear.
When does Barcelona’s trip to Real Betis take place?
Barcelona visit Betis on Saturday 17 October 2026. The match is played at the Estadio La Cartuja, Seville, against a Betis side that sat third on 9 October.
Which Barcelona player has scored most La Liga goals this season?
Raphinha leads the scoring with a dozen league goals. Lamine Yamal is next on seven, Fermín López has four, and the other 11 goals came from elsewhere in the squad.
What was Barcelona’s previous best start to a league season?
Eight wins from eight, set by Gerardo Martino’s side in 2013-14. Flick’s team have now equalled that club record, and a win at Betis would take them past it.
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