Barcelona are in the form of their lives. A commanding 4-1 victory over Galatasaray in Istanbul extended their perfect record to ten wins from ten across all competitions this season, and it came the hard way, with the Catalans recovering from an early deficit to dismantle their hosts with clinical second-half football. Lamine Yamal was the driving creative force, earning widespread praise including admiration from Galatasaray's own Rafael Leao, who tipped the teenager for Ballon d'Or glory after the match. Teammate Pau Cubarsi had said the same before kick-off, and it is becoming harder to argue against.

Hansi Flick has built something with real depth. Despite the relentless winning run, the German coach was quick to warn that momentum alone wins nothing, a sign of the measured culture he is instilling at the club. His squad management has been equally deliberate, with Raphinha kept back in Catalonia ahead of the Galatasaray trip to protect his fitness over the long haul. Pedri came through the match but requested substitution late on, though he moved swiftly to ease injury concerns afterwards.

Barcelona sit five points clear at the top of LaLiga with 24 points from eight games, and their next test comes away at Real Betis on October 17. With El Clasico against Real Madrid scheduled for October 25, the coming weeks will begin to reveal just how far this side can go.