Quality over quantity - Messi outshines entire 'BBC'

The Barca star has scored 14 goals and laid on three assists in 11 games in all competitions so far this season for the Catalan side, in what is his best-ever start to a season.

It appears that Messi isn't missing Neymar too much after the Brazilian's €222m move to PSG in the summer, with the Argentinian perhaps showing why Neymar was 'in his shadow' during his time at the Camp Nou.

Whilst Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema have suffered injury problems and Cristiano Ronaldo spent a significant period suspended, that does not change the fact that their performances when fit and available have not pulled up any trees.

Messi, for his part, has had to do without Neymar and has played alongside the misfiring Luis Suarez, who has also been playing through the pain barrier in recent weeks.

Despite this, the Argentine has still managed 11 goals in La Liga, as well as two more in the Champions League and one in Barca's Spanish Super Cup defeat to Real.

The return of the 'BBC' is much less impressive, with Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema having managed just nine goals and six assists between them in all competitions so far this season.

Of those nine goals, Ronaldo has contibuted by far the most with five (four in the Champions League and one in the Spanish Super Cup), Bale follows him up with three, with Benzema trailing both with just one strike to his name this term.

If we compare just stats from La Liga, Messi has scored 11 goals and produced three assists, to the two goals and three assists managed by the 'BBC'.

It only goes to show that sometimes quality is better than quantity.