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Barcelona have one of the best center back duos in the world this season, even as the attacking quartet of Dani Olmo, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Robert Lewandowski have stole the show globally for the new La Liga leaders. Inigo Martinez has been the revelation of the season after injuries to legitimate top-class Barcelona center backs Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen, who no longer look like guaranteed starters in the 2024/25 season when they do return, especially not Araujo. Pau Cubarsi has obviously been excellent, picking up where he left off as the best defensive prospect on the planet last season, but Martinez has really stolen the show and has a great case for being the best central defender in the world during the current campaign. Despite the wealth of talent at the ...

Barcelona sit first in the La Liga table after the November international fixtures, six points ahead of 2023/24 league champions Real Madrid. They have succeed this season under Hansi Flick by going back to their roots as an electrifying attacking juggernaut capable of regularly scoring three goals or more. Flick has been an upgrade on Xavi in every sense, and while the legendary Barcelona midfielder must be praised for setting the stage for the club and taking them out of the Ronald Koeman-era doldrums, it's clear that Flick's tactical ideas and way of relating to his players are superior. Not everyone had a great relationship with Xavi. Raphinha has been a Ballon d'Or candidate this season under Flick and spoke honestly about Xavi's failings as a man manager and tactician. Perha...

Manchester City superstar striker Erling Haaland hasn't received as much fanfare this season with the Citizens falling further behind Liverpool in the Premier League title race, but he's actually on pace for his best goal-scoring numbers of the season. The clear top dog in Manchester with Rodri injured, Haaland has scored 12 goals in 11 Premier League matches this season, putting him on pace to potentially flirt with a historic 40-goal season. Haaland already holds the Premier League record for most single-season goals after smashing home 36 with 8 assists in Man City's treble-winning 2022/23 campaign. Although the Norwegian sensation's all-around numbers have slipped in recent seasons, his displays in 2022/23 and then prior to that with Borussia Dortmund show that his all-around ...

Barcelona already have the most fearsome attacking quartet in world football, as Hansi Flick has turned Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Dani Olmo into a multi-faceted machine capable of averaging well over three goals per game in any competition. Flick has brought Lewandowski back to his status as being world football's finest goal-scoring machine - sorry, Erling Haaland - and he has gotten much more out of Raphinha and Olmo than any manager who had ever coached either before. And Yamal? Well, he didn't really have to do anything with him, but it also feels like the teenage sensation has more freedom to be himself and pull the strings as a wide creator under the German manager. Despite the embarrassment of riches in the attack, Barcelona are still looking to make t...