Despite winning all three games in LaLiga so far, Hansi Flick believes Barcelona still have room to improve ahead of their clash with Rayo Valladolid.
With rivals Real Madrid struggling to fit new signing Kylian Mbappe into their stellar squad, and winning only one game so far, Barca have opened up a lead at the top of the league standings on nine points, two ahead of second-placed Villarreal and three from Celta Vigo in third.
"It's going to be a long season, and I'm not focused on the opponents. I'm focused on Barca, we've done well in the first three games and hopefully tomorrow we'll be victorious," Flick told a press conference on Friday.
"The players are fit and rested, they are training really well, and I'm pleased. We believe in our strength and in our idea of the game.
"Of course, there are many things we need to improve, like being focused from the start of the matches and not wait 10 minutes to get going. To be confident from minute one, that's what I expect from the players.
"It sounds like something basic, but it's part of the hard core of our idea of the game. The quality of this team is sky-high, fantastic."
Barcelona had to fight back to win after conceding first-half goals at Valencia and Rayo Vallecano, and needed a late Robert Lewandowski winner to break the deadlock at home against Athletic Bilbao.
Flick said he was delighted with the strength of character in the team.
"We have a special atmosphere and a very good mentality. They are very professional players with a great attitude. They are acting as one. The attitude, the mentality, the teamwork... I love it. This is the only way to win, in unison," Flick said.
Cifuentes: Three big moments sealed QPR's first win of season
Marti Cifuentes says there were "three big moments" that decided Queens Park Rangers' 2-1 win over Luton Town in the Championship on Friday.
The Hatters took the lead in the 18th minute thanks to Jimmy Dunne's own goal, but a quickfire turnaround in the second half secured the three points for Cifuentes' side.
Michael Frey was the standout as he set Nicolas Madsen up for the equaliser in the 59th minute before scoring the winner himself just three minutes later with a wonderful first-time volley.
It is QPR's first win of the season, following back-to-back draws against Sheffield United and Plymouth Argyle, while Luton are still without a victory since dropping back into the second division.
Cifuentes was pleased with the fighting spirit shown by his side, pointing out the key moments that helped them to put their first three points on the board.
"There were three big moments in the game. Good start from our game, but then a goal and that changes the whole momentum," he told BBC Sport.
"We know they are very good on set-pieces. They are a big team, very physical. From that moment, we struggled to get out of the high press as they went man-to-man all over the pitch, and we couldn't create those small connections.
"Definitely until the beginning of the second half we struggled; Paul [Nardi] keeps us in the game with a big save.
"So, then we scored for the draw, and that was the third moment in the game. Not only with the goals, but we had the dominance until the last five minutes, even when they pushed.
"When we couldn't beat the high pressure, we invested to find the right moment and the first goal showed that."
Man Utd sign Ugarte, McTominay departs for Napoli
Manchester United have signed Manuel Ugarte on a five-year contract, while Scott McTominay has left the club after a 22-year stay.
Ugarte joined the Red Devils in a deal worth up to £50.5million from Paris Saint-Germain, with the option to extend his contract for a further year.
The Uruguayan has been linked to United throughout the transfer window, with the club getting the deal through on transfer deadline day, though not in time for him to play Liverpool on Sunday.
Ugarte had the most interceptions among PSG players in Ligue 1 last season (40), while he also contested the most duels (302, 160 successful).
"It is an incredible feeling to join a club of this magnitude; one that is admired all around the world," Ugarte said. "The project that the football leadership discussed with me is extremely exciting; Manchester United is an ambitious club, and I am an ambitious player.
"I'm someone who is so determined to succeed; I will sacrifice and give everything for my team-mates. Together we will fight to win trophies and reach the level where this club needs to be."
Earlier on Friday, McTominay completed his anticipated move to Napoli in a transfer worth €30.5m on a four-year deal.
McTominay joined the club's academy as a five-year-old and made his first-team debut in May 2017.
He went on to make 255 for the senior team, scoring 29 goals, including 10 last term in his most prolific season, and providing eight assists.
In a farewell message to the fans, McTominay said: "I've absolutely loved it, and I'm very, very grateful for the football club. I'm ready for a new challenge, and I'm ready to go and embrace it and take it by storm.
"I want to see Manchester United win, I want to see us do really, really well, and I'll be watching as well. Thank you for having me and I have enjoyed every minute."
Napoli have also announced the signing of McTominay's Scotland team-mate Billy Gilmour from Brighton.
Antonio Conte, who managed at Chelsea before Gilmour made his debut, pushed for the move, with the midfielder signing a five-year contract in a deal worth an initial £12m.
Inter 4-0 Atalanta: Thuram runs rampant in statement win
A Marcus Thuram double helped Inter to an emphatic 4-0 win over Atalanta on Friday, winning a second-straight home game.
The defending champions, coming off a draw at Genoa and a 2-0 win over Lecce, scored twice in the opening stages of each half to prevail and, provisionally, move top of the standings with seven points.
The hosts opened the scoring just three minutes in when Thuram's low cross deflected off Berat Djimsiti into his own net before Nicolo Barella doubled the lead with a stunning volley from the edge of the box seven minutes later.
They could have had a third just before the half-hour mark too, with Thuram ghosting past Atalanta's defence again, only to see this effort deflected off the woodwork.
Thuram scored twice in similar fashion after the break, taking advantage of loose balls from the visitors' poor defence to fire home from close range in the 47th and 56th minutes.
Atalanta posed little threat and can count themselves lucky not to be on the end of a heavier scoreline as Federico Dimarco's sweeping finish was disallowed for offside late on.
Data Debrief: Thuram steals spotlight
While Barella arguably scored the pick of the goals with his long-range stunner, Thuram was at the heart and centre of everything Inter did on Friday.
He had the most shots (four) and netted with both of his efforts on targeting, outperforming his 0.49 expected goals.
Thuram is now the fourth Inter player to score at least four goals in his first three appearances in a Serie A season in the three-points-for-a-win era, after Lautaro Martínez (five in 2023-24), Mauro Icardi (five in 2017-18) and Christian Vieri (four in 1999-00 and 2002-03).
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