Barcelona or Real Madrid: Who Has Made the Better Start in La Liga?

Goals, xG, performances by half and discipline give Barcelona a narrow early advantage over their rivals

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Barcelona or Real Madrid: Who Has Made the Better Start in La Liga?

Barcelona and Real Madrid both have nine points after three games, but most statistical indicators currently favour Hansi Flick’s defending champions.

Two-time defending Spanish champions Barcelona have begun their latest title defence with three victories under Hansi Flick, beating Elche 5-0, Athletic Bilbao 2-0 and Rayo Vallecano 5-2. José Mourinho’s Real Madrid have collected the same number of points after overcoming Espanyol 2-1, Real Sociedad 4-1 and Málaga 4-0.

After two trophyless seasons, a highly unusual situation in the club’s history, Real Madrid have sent a powerful warning to their main domestic rivals. However, a detailed comparison of the numbers still places Barcelona slightly ahead after three rounds of La Liga.

Barcelona vs Real Madrid: The comparison after three games

Indicator	Barcelona	Real Madrid	Advantage
Points	9	9	Level
Position	1st	2nd	Barcelona
Goals scored	12	10	Barcelona
Goals conceded	2	2	Level
Goal difference	+10	+8	Barcelona
Clean sheets	2	1	Barcelona
Expected goals (xG)	11.6	8.5	Barcelona
Top scorer	Raphinha: 5 goals	Kylian Mbappé: 4 goals	Barcelona
First halves	5 scored, 1 conceded	5 scored, 2 conceded	Barcelona
Second halves	7 scored, 1 conceded	5 scored, 0 conceded	Barcelona narrowly
Discipline	1 yellow, 0 red	4 yellows, 0 red	Barcelona

Barcelona more complete, Madrid stronger defensively after half-time

Both teams have scored five first-half goals, but Barcelona have conceded only once before the interval, compared with twice for Madrid. After half-time, the Catalans also possess the better goal difference, scoring seven and conceding one for a +6 total, compared with Madrid’s +5. Mourinho’s side nevertheless hold one notable advantage: they are yet to concede a second-half goal.

The advanced numbers also confirm Barcelona’s attacking superiority. According to FotMob, Flick’s team have generated approximately 11.6 xG, compared with 8.5 for Real Madrid. Raphinha also leads the league’s scoring chart with five goals, one more than Kylian Mbappé.

Barcelona have additionally been the fairer side based on disciplinary sanctions, receiving only one yellow card compared with Madrid’s four, with neither team having a player sent off. Los Blancos commit fewer fouls per game, but the usual cards-based fair-play criterion clearly favours Flick’s players.

Both sides have nine points, but Barcelona sit top with a +10 goal difference, while Real Madrid occupy second place on +8. After only three matches, the gap remains extremely small, but the statistical verdict is clear: Barcelona have made the stronger start, although Mourinho’s Madrid already look like a serious threat.