Goal-happy Barcelona set sights on scoring record
Fresh from propelling Barcelona to their fifth trophy of 2015, their prolific strikers are now seeking to break the Spanish record of goals in a calendar year when they play Real Betis today.
Luis Suarez hit five goals in two games as Barca beat River Plate to lift the Club World Cup this month and they now have 176 goals this year, two less than the record set by Real Madrid in 2014.
Incredibly, 134 of those have come from Suarez and strike partners Lionel Messi and Neymar who were instrumental in Barca winning the treble last season with 122 goals.
With the European Super Cup also in the bag, the only trophy to escape them was the domestic Super Cup which they lost to Athletic Bilbao.
Barca take on Betis with Suarez in particularly strong form with 24 goals from as many games and despite playing a match less they are still top of the table, if only on goal difference from Atletico Madrid, due to slip-ups by their rivals.
Barca’s match with Sporting Gijon was postponed due to their involvement in the Club World Cup but Real Madrid’s defeat by Villarreal and Atletico Madrid’s loss at Malaga left the Catalans on pole.
“We have Iniesta, Pique, Busquets who are all great players...