Barcelona should be on course to winning the Champions League this season, if a bizarre Lionel Messi stat is to be trusted.
Rivals Real Madrid have won the competition three years running – and four times in the past five years. Los Blancos’ streak was only interrupted by Barcelona’s win in 2015.
Ernesto Valverde’s men will be desperate to end their La Liga rivals’ dominance in Europe – and a unique stat suggests they will.
Every time Messi has scored in Barcelona’s opening league game the club have gone on to win the Champions League that season.
In the 2008/09 season, the Argentine scored against Racing in the first league game before Barcelona beat Manchester United in the final.
In 2011 La Liga giants beat The Red Devils again and Messi once again scored in the first league game, against Racing again.
And in the 2014/15 season he scored against Elche in his side’s opening La Liga game before Barcelona beat Juventus in the Champions League final.
Barca kicked off their latest league campaign with a 3-0 win over Alaves – and Messi bagged a brace.
Will history repeat itself once again?
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