Real Madridwon LaLiga and the Champions League last season with Joselu as the center forward. Florentino Pérez thought that by signing Kylian Mbappé, his team would be invincible.
Entering the last third of the season, it is not clear that Mbappé's addition to Carlo Ancelotti's team has been fortunate.
PSG Performs Better Without Mbappé
Real Madrid no longer dominates in Spanish LaLiga and has needed to play the play-off in the Champions League to reach the round of 16.
Meanwhile, PSG, freed from Mbappé, has formed a compact unit that has allowed them to eliminate the competition's giant, Liverpool.
While Real Madrid struggles with its doubts, Hansi Flick's Barça boasts an offensive trio. With the data in hand, it is the best in Europe.
Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Lamine Yamal far exceed the records of Real Madrid's trio that was supposed to be lethal: Vinícius, Rodrygo, and Mbappé.
Against Benfica, two goals from Raphinha and a goal and an assist from Lamine Yamal. Only Lewandowski's participation was missing, who remains at the top in the pichichi and aspiring for the Golden Boot.
From One Trio to Another: 28 Goals and Assists Difference
Barça's three forwards have, at this point in the season, 73 goals and 39 assists. Real Madrid's three remain at 61 goals and 23 assists. 12 fewer goals and 16 fewer assists.
The sum of both concepts results in 112 goals and assists for Barça's trio compared to 84 goals and assists for Real Madrid's. 28 difference.
The comparison is odious because the figures clearly favor the Barcelona players. Lewandowski: 34 goals and 3 assists, Raphinha 27 goals and 19 assists, and Lamine Yamal 12 goals and 17 assists.
Real Madrid's response is Vinícius 19 goals and 11 assists, Mbappé 28 goals and 5 assists, and Rodrygo 14 goals and 7 assists.
Meanwhile, Barça has benefited from the performance of its three forwards. The trio has scored 58% of their team's 125 goals, because in Flick's Barça everyone scores... except Ansu Fati and Christensen.
The challenge is to surpass the MSN formed by Messi, Suárez, and Neymar, who scored 131 goals in the 2015-16 season.