Barça, Leverkusen & Nice: The only unbeaten teams in Europe's big 5 leagues

It usually goes like this: international break, time for analysis. And, consequently, of numbers. They don't lie, because beyond the sensations left by each team, there is always a way of gauging the performance of a particular club. In the case of Barcelona, the mathematics are clear: Xavi's side are above the performances they offered last season at this stage.

After the first 11 games of the season, Barça have eight wins and three draws between LaLiga and the Champions League. In other words, a total of 27 points (21+6). Compared to the previous campaign, the Blaugrana have two more points, as they accumulated eight wins, one draw and two defeats (25). The draw came in the league opener against Rayo and the two losses came against Bayern and Inter in the Champions League.

Reaction

Xavi's side have had to come from behind in several games to save their unbeaten record. They did it in Villarreal, they did it in Mallorca and, above all, they did it in Montjuïc against a Celta side who were 0-2 up with 10 minutes to go. They did it again against Granada last weekend. And if there is one thing that characterises Barça, it is perseverance. This was also demonstrated against Sevilla, when, through persistence, the Culés won the game.

For many, it may seem anecdotal, but it is worth noting that, among the 96 teams that make up the five big European leagues -- LaLiga, the Premier League, Serie A, Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga -- only Barça and two other clubs have yet to taste defeat. Not just in the domestic championship, but in all competitions. What's more, even opening up the range to second-tier leagues such as the Portuguese, Dutch or Belgian competitions, there are no teams that have not yet bitten the dust at least once.

👌🦁 Nuestro entrenador es como el día de hoy: 🔟/🔟#SomlsBayer04 pic.twitter.com/727bPqgpNd

— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_es) 10 de octubre de 2023

Bayer Leverkusen & Nice

Besides Barça, Bayer Leverkusen and Nice are the other two teams that remain unbeaten. Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen are the sensation of the moment in Germany, where the press are already speculating that the team is a real contender to win the Bundesliga. After seven league games, Bayer have six wins and one draw, the draw at the Allianz Arena against Bayern Munich. In the Europa League, they have won two out of two, while in the German Cup they have also made it through.

In France, young Nice coach Franceso Farioli, only 34 years old, is making a brutal start to the season: four wins and four draws, having beaten Monaco and PSG away. Quite a feat.

The last time Barça went through the first 11 games of the season without defeat was five years ago. In the 2017-2018 season, Ernesto Valverde's side made it to January without dropping a knee. It remains to be seen whether Xavi Hernández will be able to match or surpass that record.