FC Barcelona's starts to the year this century

It's always good to start the new year with a win, and that's what Barça will be trying to do when they go to the Estadio Gran Canaria this Thursday to take on UD Las Palmas, a team that's been getting some decent results so far this season. And with seven points separating them from the top two teams in La Liga, a win is more important than ever right now.

Barça have started the year with a win on 13 occasions this century. The most recent case was last season's 4-3 win in extra time at Intercity of Alicante, with Ronald Araujo scoring the first of the 101 competitive goals that the team scored in 2023.

Liga and Copa

The year often starts with a cup fixture, but like this year, that hasn't always been the case. Barça will be going to Barbastro for a Copa del Rey game on January 7, and after that comes the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, but before any of that there's a league game to play in the Canary Islands.

In their 23 opening games to the year in the 21st century, Barça have scored 44 goals, 12 of which were notched up in three consecutive 4-0 wins (against Osasuna in the Copa del Rey in 2012, and Espanyol and Elche in the league in 2013 and 2014). Cesc Fàbregas, Xavi and Alexis Sánchez were the scorers of the first goals of the year in those matches.

First goal of the year

Pedro, Messi and current coach Xavi Hernández are the three players that have scored the first goal of the year twice this century. So, who's it going to be in 2024?