Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, Europe's most productive duo
Barça's spectacular start to the season is down to several reasons but the combination up front of Raphinha and Lamine Yamal is of undeniable importance. The duo are unstoppable at the moment and the stats from La Liga back up that impression, especially in comparison with other attacking duo from Europe's top five leagues.
26 direct goal involvements
So far this season in the league Raphinha has scored 12 times and created four assists with his team mate and partner in crime Lamine Yamal on seven goals and four assists. 26 direct goal involvements so far in just seven games, way ahead of the second best pair in the Spanish League, Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham who are on 10 goals and four assists.
While it is true that at this point in the campaign La Liga is deeper into the season, with 7 rounds already played, than other leagues, if we look at the stats in terms of per game the Barça duo still come out on top with an average of 3.71 goals created per game.
Way ahead
Lamine and Raphinha are not just ahead of Mbappé and Bellingham at Real Madrid in terms of per game stats but also João Pedro and Morgan Rogers at Chelsea, the Manchester City pair of Haaland and Cherki as well as Roma's Malen and Dybala.
Best figure in the 21st century at Barça
Beyond the current campaign, the 26 goal involvements of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha after seven game in La Liga is the best total at Barça in the 21st century.
The Brazilian and the Catalan find themselves ahead of other great blaugrana duos such as Messi and Cesc Fàbregas who created 23 goals in seven matches in the league in 2011/12; Messi and Neymar's 21 in 2014/15 and Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic's 20 in 2009/10. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha are in record breaking form at the moment and long may it continue.