Hansi Flick's Barcelona match club record set by attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr and Luis Suarez
With 25 goals scored in their first eight La Liga games, Hansi Flick's Barcelona have matched a record set by Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr, and Luis Suarez's legendary partnership for the club. Popularly known as MSN, the trio is considered one of the greatest attacking trios in the history of football.
Messi, Neymar and Suarez led Barcelona to glory on multiple occasions between 2014 to 2017. MSN was key to the Catalan side winning their second treble under Luis Enrique's guidance in the 2014-15 season.
The trio together scored a whopping 363 goals for the club across all competitions over three seasons, before their partnership broke with Neymar's departure to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2017.
In the current season, Barcelona's attacking trio, featuring Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, have matched the record previously held by MSN. In eight games played so far in La Liga, La Blaugrana have scored 25 goals and conceded only nine. With 21 points, they sit at the top of the league table with seven wins and one loss.
The Catalan side last reached the 25-goal mark after eight games in the 2016-17 season, with Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Suarez scoring 16 out of the 25 goals in their first eight La Liga games. Mirroring the same numbers, Barca's current attacking trio comprising Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Yamal, have also accounted for 16 of the club's 25 goals scored in the league this season.
Flick's men suffered a 4-2 loss to Osasuna on September 28 in La Liga, marking their first loss in the league this season. However, it could not deter their confidence as they made a convincing comeback with a 5-0 win over Young Boys in the Champions League on October 1.
If Barca are able to continue their incredible form, they could end up winning some silverware after a trophyless 2023-24 campaign.
When Lionel Messi addressed the possibility of a reunion of Barcelona's iconic MSN trio
In an interview with Infobae earlier this year, Lionel Messi was asked about the possibility of Neymar Jr joining him and Luis Suarez at Inter Miami, leading to a possible MSN reunion.
In response, Lionel Messi hinted that it was unlikely, saying (via BeIn Sports):
"No, I don't know. The truth is it's difficult now; he's in Saudi Arabia. He had a tough year, dealing with many injuries that kept him out of the Copa América. Life takes so many turns that anything can happen, but as of today, no."
However, to the delight of many Culers, Lionel Messi confirmed that he is still in touch with Neymar. The Argentine added that he shares a WhatsApp group with Neymar and Suarez since their time playing together in Spain. He said:
"The three of us have a group. I think Neymar named it ‘sudaca’ or something like that… Since our time at Barcelona, when we played together, I believe at some point he created the group, named it ‘sudaca’, and left it like that."
The Argentine had mentioned the same in one of his earlier interviews with Fox Sports dating back to 2019.
It remains to be seen whether Neymar joins his former teammates at Inter Miami anytime in the future. The Brazilian's current contract with Al-Hilal ends in June 2025 with his future uncertain for now.