Incredible Stat Proves Lionel Messi Is Even Better Without Brazilian Superstar Neymar at Barcelona

Is this the year Lionel Messi starts to show his age?...It certainly doesn’t look that way.

The Argentina skipper has been in stellar form this season, though there were many questioning whether Barca could challenge the might of Real Madrid without Neymar this season.

However, thanks to the 30-year-old’s mercurial performances, the Blaugrana look much improved from last season now sit top of the table with seven wins out of seven.

As ever, Messi is running the show with 14 goals in eleven matches so far, taking his grand total to a whopping 532 goals in 626 matches for the Spanish giants.

The Catalan club are five points clear of nearest challengers Sevilla, despite the fact that Neymar’s replacement, Ousmane Dembele, has been sidelined with a long-term injury.

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However, according to Marca, Barca’s resurgence can be put down to the efforts of one man, and they have the stats to back it up.

The Argentinian has scored a staggering 47.83 percent of Barcelona's goals this season, topping his previous best of 43.86 in the 2011/12 season and the heyday of Xavi and Iniesta.