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Barcelona, Spain. 14th May, 2023. FC Barcelona players celebrating the 0-3 during the La Liga match between RCD Espanyol and FC Barcelona played at RCDE Stadium on May 14 in Barcelona, Spain.

12 superb stats from Barcelona’s magnificent 2022-23 title triumph

Nestor Watach •

Barcelona have sealed the 2022-23 La Liga title in style after beating city rivals Espanyol 4-2 away from home.

It’s been clear for a long time that Barcelona were destined to win the Spanish title. They’ve been top of the table since before the World Cup break and never looked like letting their lead slip.

Their celebrations were marred by ugly scenes as the players were chased off the pitch by their rivals’ incensed ultras – Barcelona sealing the title just rubbed salt into their wounds, with the result all but confirming Espanyol’s relegation to the second tier.

“Magnificent feeling. A job well done. This started in July. 10 months of work, sacrifice. The fans, the club, deserve it. It gives us stability and security that things are being done well,” Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez said after the final whistle.

“We have sealed La Liga with a fantastic game. We have been brilliant. The team has relaxed at the end and they have shown pride. We have won La Liga in a derby, which is not normal.”

Here are 10 brilliant stats from Barcelona’s outstanding 2022-23 campaign:

– Barcelona’s title victory means that Real Madrid haven’t retained a league title in 15 years – not since the 2007-08 season. In that time, Barcelona have won nine La Liga titles and retained it on four occasions.

– This is Xavi’s ninth La Liga title, and first as a manager after winning eight with Barcelona in his playing career. He follows some legendary names to have won it as both a player and a manager – Zinedine Zidane, Luis Enrique, Diego Simeone, Pep Guardiola, Johan Cruyff, Vicente del Bosque, Luis Aragones, Alfredo Di Stefano, Bernd Schuster and Jorge Valdano are the 10 to have done so before.

– Xavi’s side have conceded just 13 goals in 34 La Liga outings. They’ve kept 25 clean sheets from those 34 matches and have conceded less than half the goals of the next-best defence in the Spanish top flight – Atletico Madrid, who have conceded 27 goals.  The 4-2 victory at Espanyol is only the third time in La Liga this season that Barcelona have conceded two or more goals.

– Depending on the final four games (Real Sociedad, Real Valladolid, Real Mallorca, Celta Vigo), Barcelona could end the season with the best defensive record in the history of all Europe’s major leagues. Their current rate of 0.382 goals conceded per game is only bettered by Cagliari of 1969-70 (0.367) and Liverpool of 1978-79 (0.381).

– If they concede fewer than five goals in their last four matches, they’ll beat the La Liga record set by Atletico Madrid in 2015-16 (18 goals conceded). They need to concede fewer than two goals in their last four outings to beat the modern-day benchmark set by Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea in 2004-05 (15 goals conceded in 38 Premier League games).

– The newly-crowned La Liga champions boast the sixth-highest expected goals in Europe’s five major leagues (67.1xG) and third-lowest expected goals against (27.9) but only Pep Guardiola’s Man City have a better xG differential (46.6 to Barcelona’s 39.2) – via FBref.

– Barcelona are on track to boast the highest points tally in Europe’s top five leagues this season. They average 2.5 points per game, while Man City average 2.43, Napoli average 2.37 and PSG average 2.31.

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READ: Joan Laporta accidentally recreated a classic meme amid Barcelona’s chaotic title celebrations

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– If Barcelona win their final four matches, they’ll end the campaign on 97 points. Only twice in history (2009-10 – 99 points and 2012-13 – 100 points) have they bettered that tally.

– This is the first time that Barcelona have won the La Liga title without Lionel Messi in their squad since 1998-99.

– Lewandowski is currently four goals ahead of Karim Benzema in the La Liga scoring charts with 21 goals. The Poland international is set to become Barcelona’s fourth Pichichi winner since the year 2000, after Samuel Eto’o, Luis Suarez and Messi (who won it eight times).

– Barcelona boast both the best home and best away record in La Liga this season, having taken 45 points at the Camp Nou and 40 points on the road. They’re also one game away from going the entire campaign unbeaten on home soil.

– This was the 32nd trophy of Sergio Busquets’ Barcelona career and first league title as club captain. He departs the club as the second-most (joint with Andres Iniesta) decorated player in the club’s history – only Lionel Messi has won more silverware with Barcelona (35 trophies).

READ NEXT: Where are they now? The legendary Barcelona ‘Pep team’ of 2010-11

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name Barcelona’s starting XI from Sergio Busquets’ debut in ’08?

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