Barcelona left Istanbul with their perfect start intact, turning a difficult Champions League night at Rams Park into a statement of their attacking depth. The win made it 10 official matches and 10 victories at the start of the season, with 43 goals scored across that run.
The Catalan side did not have Raphinha, their outstanding performer so far this campaign, and went into the match without a fixed centre-forward. Even so, their forward momentum did not disappear. Barcelona found themselves under greater pressure than expected after taking a 1-0 lead, with the first half demanding more resilience than the scoreline initially suggested.
The tie swung decisively after the interval. Lamine Yamal took command during the opening 20 minutes of the second half, producing the individual quality that settled the contest and allowed Barcelona to emerge from one of Europe’s most intimidating away settings with another win.
A demanding European week still ahead
Barcelona’s unbeaten opening sequence has created the sense of a side capable of overwhelming opponents regardless of selection issues, but the next stretch will provide a sterner measure of their ceiling. Before the Clásico, they face two demanding away assignments: Real Betis domestically and Paris Saint-Germain in Europe.
Those matches will test whether Barcelona’s early-season dominance can travel beyond the momentum of their opening 10 fixtures. For now, however, they have negotiated Istanbul, kept scoring freely and shown that even without Raphinha or a conventional striker, they have enough attacking talent to decide major nights.
