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In April 2018, Barcelona were acrimoniously dumped out of Europe’s premier club competition by AS Roma. Despite holding a three-goal advantage heading into the second leg, the Spanish outfit succumbed to the barrage of pressure their Italian counterparts threw at them.
Ever since then, the Blaugrana have been seething and waiting for their opportunity to make things right. And this season’s UEFA Champions League accords them the perfect platform to do so.
So far, the Camp Nou outfit has performed admirably in Europe with the draws to Tottenham and Inter Milan representing the only points lost during the campaign.
Additionally, Barcelona has been a force to reckon with domestically and currently, enjoy a five-point lead over their nearest rivals, Atletico Madrid in LaLiga.
The Spanish outfit is slated to face Lyon in the Round of 16 and with the French side not setting the world ablaze yet, many expect Barcelona to progress. However, does Barcelona have enough in their tank to go all the way in Europe this time and lay their hands on a trophy they’ve been craving since 2015?
Through this article, we would look at three reasons which seem to answer the above question in the affirmative and place the Blaugrana in pole position to lift the title at the Metropolitano in June.
#3 Greater strength in midfield and defence
Last season, Barcelona looked hopelessly exposed in the middle of the park. Though Iniesta had been one of their best players ever, he wasn’t on the same level physically and the Spanish side eventually suffered. Moreover, the third component of their midfield remained elusive.
Yet, this term, with the acquisition of Vidal and Arthur, they seem better equipped to handle the challenges in Europe. While the former provides some much-needed steel in midfield, the latter seems to have been cut out of the cloth which produced the likes of Xavi, Iniesta and Thiago.
Having Vidal in the mix gives Valverde the option to play with two out and out defensive midfielders in crunch away games whereas Arthur can be drafted in to take the game to the opposition.
As for the defence, Lenglet has fit in like a glove at Barcelona and has been superb at the heart of the defence. In addition, Semedo has really come off age and his inclusion injects pace in an otherwise sluggish defence-line.
Though the onus would again fall on Barcelona’s flair players to produce the goods when push comes to shove, a stronger rear-guard surely enhances their chances of success.
The defenders and midfielders might not hog as much of the headlines as their illustrious attacking peers, yet it could just be the aspect which firmly tilts the Champions League in their favour.
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#2 Resurgence of Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele
In the 2017 off-season, Neymar took the footballing world by storm when he switched Barcelona for Paris in a deal which cost the Parisians in excess of €200 million.
Thus, it was inevitable that Barcelona would go searching for a replacement. The Spanish outfit finalised Ousmane Dembele as the man to offset the loss of Neymar.
Though the Frenchman was hit hard by injuries throughout his debut season, he rarely staked his claim for a starting spot owing to his inconsistent displays.
However, in the current season, Dembele has been one of Barcelona’s standout performers. In four Champions League appearances, the winger has made the net bulge twice while providing one assist.
Moreover, his trait of being direct has added another dimension to an already multi-faceted Barcelona attack.
Yet, Dembele isn’t the only player rivals should be worried about. His strike partner, Luis Suarez hasn’t been faring too shabbily either.
The Uruguayan might have slipped under the radar this season, but he remains as good a link-up player as any. Even though he might not boast of the searing pace he once did, Suarez has enough in his locker to cause problems to the most resolute defences.
In the 2018-19 season, the Uruguayan seems to have regained the sharpness which deserted him last term. His return of 15 goals and 7 assists across the LaLiga and Champions League being a testament to the above fact.
Suarez has often been accused of going missing in the big games recently. Yet, in the El Clasico in October, he stole the show with a virtuoso display.
At this juncture, it seems that Dembele and Suarez’s form will end up playing a massive role at the business end of the Champions League.
And if they keep conjuring displays as they’ve done till now, the Champions League could just be on its way to Barcelona.
#1 Lionel Messi's brilliant form
Messi, arguably the greatest footballer the world has ever seen, came in for some stick at the back end of last season when his failure to get Barcelona across the finish line in Europe was magnified exponentially.
Stung by the criticism and the Ballon d'Or snub, the Argentine has been sensational this term. At the moment, Messi leads the race for the Golden Shoe with 19 goals. Additionally, he has mustered 13 assists across all competitions and has simply been the best footballer across Europe.
Under Barcelona’s new system, Messi has been given a freer role and the No.10 has revealed so far. With willing runners of the ilk of Suarez, Alba and Dembele in the ranks, Messi has provided the ammunition for them to rifle home.
There are some things in life one can’t control and a Messi on song is just one of those. If the Argentine scales the dizzying heights he is capable of, none across Europe can handle him.
Over the past couple of seasons though, Messi hasn’t come up trumps when needed. Yet, this season, with many questioning his place among the pantheon of greats, he seems a man possessed.
For all of Barcelona’s improvement across the pitch, the Champions League could well boil down to how their talisman performs in clutch situations. And if early season form is any indicator, a sixth UCL triumph might not be too distant a dream after all.
