Barcelona fought to a 1-0 win away in the Balaeric islands earlier tonight after the Spanish giants outfought Mallorca at the Visit Mallorca Stadium in what turned into a record-breaking night for the Catalan outfit.
Robert Lewandowski continued his rip-roaring start to life in La Liga after his summer arrival from Bavarian juggernaut Bayern Munich, with his match-winner seeing him become the fastest player to score 9 goals in the 21st century in his first La Liga season while needing just seven matches to achieve that feat.
But the 34-year-old Polish international star was not the only Barça man to add their name into the history books tonight, after club manager and era-defining former midfielder Xavi has now gone eighteen matches unbeaten away from home during his young managerial career, beating out Zinedine Zidane’s previous marker which the Frenchman laid down while on the touchline at the Santiago Bernabeau.
Xavi has broken Zidane’s record for the longest unbeaten away streak in LaLiga history going 18 games without a loss.
He has done wonders for Barca 👏 pic.twitter.com/ThYeHg09TL
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 1, 2022
The influence that Xavi has had since his return home as one of the club’s most beloved sons has been undeniable after the club was immediately rejuvenated during the 2021-22 La Liga season which saw them eventually claw their way up to second come the end of the season after a catastrophic start to the campaign under Ronald Koeman.
That run of form has carried over into the current season, which has no doubt been aided after the club instituted a massive summer recruitment drive that saw Barça not only add Lewandowski into the senior setup, but also added Raphinha, Jules Koundé, Franck Kessié, Andreas Christensen, Héctor Bellerín, and Marcos Alonso.
Many will point to the investment as one of the key factors behind Barcelona’s start to the season in Spain, which has seen them post a 6-1-0 record while bagging 19 goals and surrendering just one at the other end, but the framework that is currently reaping the benefits was already instilled by one of La Masia’s greatest-ever products the prior season, with the club backing their man with further investment in additive pieces that fit the mold in order for him to challenge Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga table, which he has shown himself capable of doing.
