Flawed, dysfunctional Barcelona are top of La Liga but not very good | Sid Lowe

Abhorrent and filthy were among the words used to describe the win at Leganés – there is a reason Messi wanted Neymar

Barcelona beat Leganés 2-1 at Butarque on Saturday afternoon and are top of the table. Undefeated, they also lead their Champions League group, ahead of Internazionale and Borussia Dortmund. Win on Wednesday night and they will be mathematically qualified from the competition’s hardest group with a game to spare. They have lost just one of their last 11 matches, winning nine, and have scored more league goals than anybody in Spain: seven more than second-placed Real Madrid and more than twice as many as Athletic Bilbao in fifth, Atlético Madrid in fourth and Sevilla in third. When they played Sevilla, they put four past them. They stuck four more past Celta and five past Betis, Valencia and Valladolid.

They have the striker who scored 115 over the last four La Liga seasons, more than anyone except that guy, and they have that guy too – the best player in their history and maybe anybody else’s history either. They won last season’s league, making it four of five, and were a goal off a probable treble. Then they signed Europe’s two most wanted players, even if neither was their players’ most wanted: the €75m midfielder made for them, voted Europe’s best, and the summer’s most expensive footballer at €126m. Their new front three had scored 401 league goals in five years; their goalkeeper might be Spain’s best; they signed the full-back Bayern, Madrid, City chased; have the kid exciting everyone; and this weekend’s starting XI cost €489m.

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