Back in August, it seemed Barcelona were in for a long season.
Neymar's departure to Paris Saint-Germain had left a cloud over the club and their defeat to Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup did not bode well.
Ernesto Valverde had inherited problems on and off the pitch, but fast forward two months and the picture looks very different.
Barcelona's 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao was their ninth in 10 La Liga games. They are eight points clear of Madrid at the top of the table, with 28 goals scored and just three conceded.
Since those Spanish Super Cup defeats in August, Barcelona have won 13 of their 14 games in all competitions, and optimism has returned to Camp Nou.
So what's changed under Valverde? His use of Lionel Messi is the most significant factor.
The Argentine has been given a more central role and it has paid off. Messi has raced ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in the scoring charts, hitting 12 in La Liga and 16 in all competitions.
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