Despite a wide amount of injuries and a critical financial situation, FC Barcelona has managed to pull off an almost perfect start to the LaLiga season. The influence of coach Hansi Flick‘s tactics has transformed the team into a goal-scoring machine, to the point where they’ve matched a record set by the legendary attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar Jr.
Barcelona has played eight LaLiga matches so far, winning the first seven before seeing their streak snapped by a 4-2 loss to Osasuna in their most recent game. Despite the setback, Hansi Flick’s side is still dominating the league, sitting at the top with 21 points, 25 goals scored, and only 9 goals conceded.
Interestingly, Barcelona last hit the 25-goal mark this early in the season during the 2016-17 LaLiga campaign. Back then, the legendary trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and Neymar Jr. accounted for 16 of those goals in the first eight matches.
This season, there’s a new attacking trio that matched the record: Barcelona’s forwards Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, and Raphinha scored 16 goals between them, mirroring the milestone set by the famous MSN.
Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski of Barcelona FC acknowledge the crowd during the LaLiga match between Girona FC and FC Barcelona at Montilivi Stadium on September 15, 2024 in Girona, Spain.
Barcelona’s loss to Osasuna hasn’t shaken their confidence. In Matchday 2 of the 2024-25 Champions League, Barca bounced back in style, crushing Swiss side Young Boys 5-0 to maintain their impressive scoring form.
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Will we see the MSN again?
The MSN trio—Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar—is arguably one of the greatest attacking forces in soccer history. Over the course of three years, the trio played together in 181 games, winning 138 of them (a 76% win rate), and racking up an incredible number of goals: Messi netted 153, Suárez scored 121, and Neymar added 90.
The partnership was dismantled in 2017 when Neymar left for PSG. However, in the twilight of their careers, Messi has convinced Suárez to join him in MLS, where the duo now shares the spotlight at Inter Miami. But the question remains: will Neymar join them?
Neymar signed a two-year deal with Al Hilal in 2023, but he barely had the chance to play after suffering a rupture of his meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) while on international duty on October 2023.
With less than a year remaining on his contract with the Saudi Arabian side, his future remains uncertain. If Neymar becomes a free agent, fans will be eager to see if Messi can convince him to join Inter Miami, just as he did with Suarez.
