Eleven games. Eleven wins. That is the Barcelona season so far, and it is hard to argue with. Hansi Flick’s side just equalled the best start in La Liga history. Yet one question keeps coming back. Is the defence good enough to win in Europe?

Let’s break it down.

The Barcelona Season So Far in Numbers

On Saturday, Barça won 5 to 2 at Real Betis. That made it nine wins from nine league games. According to ESPN, this matches a record Real Madrid set in 1968/69.

Lamine Yamal scored the opener and set up Gabriel Jesus. Rodri scored his first goal for the club. Eric García and Dani Olmo also found the net.

The goals came early. In September, Barça scored five goals in four of their first five matches. ARA reports no Barça side had done that in over a century.

Europe has gone well too. Barça beat Feyenoord 5 to 1 at home and Galatasaray 4 to 1 in Istanbul.

Add it all up. Barça have scored 48 goals and conceded 11 in 11 games.

What Changed From Last Season

Last season ended with the league title. Barça finished with 94 points and 95 league goals. The title night against Real Madrid showed what this team can do.

But the autumn was messy. By early November 2025, Barça had already conceded 17 goals in 14 games. An injury crisis made things worse.

This summer, the club finally spent big. Barça made eight permanent signings and spent over $200 million, according to Sports Illustrated. Anthony Gordon came from Newcastle. Karim Adeyemi arrived from Dortmund. João Cancelo joined permanently. Gabriel Jesus added depth up front. Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford all left.

The biggest name was Rodri. He controls games and shields the back line. SI says Barça played “basketball games” a season ago. Rodri slows those games down.

Depth is the real difference in the Barcelona season so far. In the Feyenoord win, Flick took off Pedri and Raphinha with more than 20 minutes left. Last season, he rarely had that luxury.

Is Defence Still a Concern for Barcelona?

Short answer: yes, but mostly in Europe.

In La Liga, Barça have conceded nine goals in nine games. That is one per game. Last season they let in 36 in 38 league matches. So the domestic rate looks almost the same as in a title winning year. Not worse. Not fixed either.

Europe tells a different story. Barça have now gone 17 Champions League games without a clean sheet. The last one came against Borussia Dortmund in April 2025.

The goal in Istanbul showed the pattern. Galatasaray broke fast down the left through Rafael Leão. Aleksey Batrakov then shot, and the ball deflected off Cancelo past Joan García.

Here’s the thing. In Flick’s system, the forwards start the defending. They press high, and the back line pushes up behind them. When a team beats that press, space opens behind the defenders. One quick pass can cut the whole team open.

That is the main worry in the Barcelona season so far. And it links to the squad. Sports Mole reports Barça have not found a real replacement for Iñigo Martínez since he left in 2025. Flick relies on Pau Cubarsí, Gerard Martín, Jules Koundé and Eric García instead.

Former Barça defender Abelardo sees this as the gap. He believes the team needs a top level centre back to win the Champions League. “I hope I am wrong,” he added.

What to Watch Next

The next week will tell us more than the last two months. Barça visit PSG on Tuesday. El Clásico follows next weekend.

Feyenoord, Galatasaray and Betis all scored against this team. Barça simply scored more. PSG will not give away that many chances.

So what is the takeaway? The Barcelona season so far is a historic attacking start. The defence is not in crisis. But it is the one area that could stop a great season from becoming a special one.