Barcelona have borne witness to among the most prolific and devastating attacking trios in soccer historical past.
Pep Guardiola’s Thierry Henry, Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto ran riot on their approach to the treble in 2008/09 and have been adopted up with one other Champions League-winning trident of David Villa, Messi and Pedro in 2010/11.
Then after all, got here arguably probably the most devastating trio the sport has ever seen in Messi-Suarez-Neymar or ‘MSN’ as they have been feared, unleashed by Luis Enrique.
After three years of unbridled chemistry and bucket a great deal of targets and particular moments together with one other treble for the membership’s historical past books, Neymar left the membership in 2017 for Paris Saint-Germain, leaving Messi and Luis Suarez behind.
As we’ve come to realize it, that was the final of the wonderful trios that Barcelona had seen. Nicely, the final one till Hansi Flick got here alongside and gave the followers a cause to be excited.
Other than the scintillating model of soccer Barcelona have performed this season, Flick have to be credited with getting the very best out of Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha as a unit.
Barcelona have scored a ton of targets in solely a handful of video games, blowing groups away at will and this newly-assembled trio has been an enormous cause for the workforce’s blistering firepower.
As defences proceed to ponder, what’s the secret behind Europe’s most potent attacking unit?
An entire trio
Barcelona’s present entrance three’s ridiculous effectivity isn’t a coincidence. Neither it’s something like those we’ve seen earlier than play for the garnet-and-blue.
The trio of Lewandowski, Yamal and Raphinha are profiles which are seamlessly complimentary to that of the opposite.
Lamine Yamal, at mere 17 years of age, holds the keys to creativity within the workforce. Be it to prise open a low-block or take a swipe and dribble by way of the defences of some massive groups and put some esteemed defenders to disgrace.
Raphinha runs and boy does he run so much. If Yamal creates, then Raphinha is the person who appears to get on the finish of these probabilities.
His motion is extremely sharp and his eagerness to get into goalscoring positions has boosted his offensive numbers sky-high and at a ridiculous price.
Other than his motion, Raphinha has matured right into a artistic drive as properly, supplementing the wonderkid from the left along with his most potent weapon, crossing.
To not neglect, how immensely clutch his aim contributions have proved to be this season. With the armband on his sleeve, captain Raphinha is a real chief and borderline unstoppable.
Then comes Robert Lewandowski the veteran and goal man of this attacking unit. By his innate understanding of positioning, the Pole gives a stationary menace to the opposition.
His place at instances occupies the central defenders, offering house and time to the havoc-wreakers on both facet of him, or he may drop to hold-up play and maintain assault within the opponent’s half earlier than laying it off to his artistic generals.
All of this, with out mentioning his menacing goalscoring prowess has as soon as once more proven in these three months of 2024/25 thus far.
As we’ve all come to see this season, this profiling works like a well-oiled machine for Barcelona. Clearly outlined roles for every of those three present totally different arenas of assault, leaving the opposition dumbfounded, not understanding what hit them.
For reference, the ‘MSN’ trio flourished due to their excellent particular person capacity and inexplicable telepathic chemistry which prolonged off the sphere too. Their success was not essentially right down to the system or the ‘roles’ they have been assigned.
Flick’s trident is system-oriented, and fortunately he has the perfect gamers for the dynamics up-front for it to work prefer it does.
It additionally means ought to Barcelona be capable to signal high quality deputies and if the squad be hit with an damage storm, Flick’s attacking ideas ought to proceed to blow away groups unchecked.
However for now, Barcelona have probably the most feared trio on the earth, and the numbers communicate for themselves too.
A statistical perspective
Barcelona’s notorious aim tally has hit ridiculous heights this season.
For starters, 40 targets in 13 LaLiga video games is the second-highest within the membership’s whole historical past with 42 probably the most scored at this stage of the league method again within the 1950/51 season.
Nevertheless, this document doesn’t appear to face an opportunity in opposition to the one the workforce achieved after a 5-2 drubbing of Purple Star Belgrade within the Champions League, the place they collected a whopping 55 targets in simply 16 video games into the season, probably the most within the membership’s historical past.
Averaging greater than three targets a sport, this Barcelona workforce packs some critical firepower and their attacking unit’s numbers have an enormous hand in that.
Yamal has a complete of 14 G/A (targets+assists) – 6 targets and eight assists – in simply 16 video games throughout all competitions this season. He has already surpassed his numbers from the whole lot of the earlier marketing campaign.
However everyone knows how his sport transcends mere numbers, don’t we?
The teenager averages three profitable take-ons per sport, discovering himself within the 91st percentile of wingers whereas registering himself within the 94th percentile for assists and the 86th for Progressive Carries highlighting the protagonism of the wonderkid in Barcelona’s assault.
Raphinha is placing up some stable numbers too. With 20 aim contributions – 12 targets and 10 assists – in 17 video games, the Brazilian has been one in every of the perfect forwards in Europe this season.
His statistics show how a lot of a difference-maker he’s on this Barcelona facet.
Raphinha finds himself within the 99th percentile for assists and is miles clear as properly on the subject of anticipated targets and assists, a results of his elevated goalscoring acumen and enhanced creativity.
However on the subject of placing balls into the again of the online, there’s merely nobody higher than Lewandowski. The Pole has blasted 19 targets in simply 17 video games this season and continues to set the tempo in Spain and Europe even on the age of 36.
Joint-top scorer within the Champions League with 5 targets to his identify, main the race for the Pichichi trophy with 14 targets scored in 12 LaLiga video games, it’s truthful to say Lewandowski is reborn beneath Hansi Flick.
There are some key stats too that assist this rejuvenation.
Lewandowski finds himself within the 93rd percentile for anticipated targets and assists competing with the likes of Harry Kane and Erling Haaland and even main them in metrics of aim scored. Speak about longevity.
To compile these numbers, the trio alone accounts for an enormous 74% of the targets scored by the workforce with 37 targets shared between the three out of the 55 the workforce has scored.
That’s with out even factoring within the assists the entrance line has offered this season. Who’s stopping them then?
The decision
This Barcelona entrance line is blowing away groups at will and scoring targets for enjoyable and judging by their efficiency, opposition defences have to be sick by the sight of them.
Targets scored galore and but once you add Dani Olmo because the quantity 10 to the combination, the trio turns into considerably of a improbable 4, inflicting nightmares upon anybody who dare to cease them.
As compared, the lethality of Lewandowski, Yamal and Raphinha has proved to be unstoppable when it was their rivals Actual Madrid’s galactico unit of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo who have been anticipated to run European defences ragged.
That take has soured like grapes doesn’t it? An fascinating reality emerges once you consider the levels of the profession these gamers discover themselves in.
Yamal, at 17, is beginning to make his mark on the sport. Raphinha at 27 is hitting his prime. And Robert Lewandowski is on the tail-end of his profession at 36.
Every of them is a decade aside from the opposite, with totally different ranges of knowledge and maturity, nonetheless wreaking havoc in tandem for all who come could.
Three improbable gamers. An absurdly full trio. Make no mistake about it, their dominance is what has primed this workforce for an actual shot at glory.
