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With the way things are going at the moment, it looks as if Catalan giants, FC Barcelona, are having a great season this term. La Blaugrana are currently sitting on top of the LaLiga table with 31 points in 15 games, and they were also the first side to qualify for the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League after making qualification look very easy despite being drawn with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Inter Milan, and PSV Eindhoven in a group of death.
Moreover, the likes of Lionel Messi, Ousmane Dembele, Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho, Jordi Alba, Arthur Melo, and Ivan Rakitic are firing on all cylinders at the moment - pushing the team forward with incredible effort and giving the Blaugrana faithful a reason to believe they are in for a great campaign this season.
But while several pointers suggest that Barcelona are primed to shine during the term, there are also some difficulties facing the Catalan giants that could inspire a negative turnaround. Therefore lets quickly take a look at 3 things which could hinder the LaLiga champions from achieving a great campaign.
#3 Inconsistency
Barcelona are sitting on top of the LaLiga table right now, and they have also qualified for the next phase of the UEFA Champions League, but their level of performance in both competitions is not as impressive as their achievements suggest.
While they have managed to ride on the brilliance of Lionel Messi to cover their blushes in the Champions League, it is in the LaLiga their inconsistency has been widely exposed - with the defending champions having recorded a disappointing 4 draws and 2 defeats already in just 15 games so far - a series of results well below their standards.
And if they keep producing under-par displays like the one we saw against PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Champions League, sooner or later, a repeat of what happened in Rome last season could come up and destroy a perfect-going season.
#2 Injury crisis
The injury crisis surrounding some of Barcelona's superstars is one of the factors that could derail La Blaugrana's efforts this term. The Catalans have been dealing with injury concerns since the beginning of the term, and rather than getting some ease, the list keeps piling up.
The likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Thomas Vermaelen, Philippe Coutinho, Arthur Melo, Denis Suarez, Carles Alena, and Ivan Rakitic have all visited the treatment table this season before getting back to action at certain points, but the likes of Sergi Roberto, Malcom, Samuel Umtiti, and Rafinha Alcantara are still out injured, with the latter two facing long spells on the sidelines.
Although it is undeniable that Barcelona have incredible depth in their squad, if injury concerns continue to pile up at this rate, there is no way it will not affect the squad as the season progresses, and that could also inspire a negative turnaround.
#1 Weak defense
Ever since Barcelona discarded the 4-4-2 formation they adopted last season to switch to their famous 4-3-3 setup this term, they have experienced a lot of difficulties - especially in their defense.
While the latter has granted them some attacking firepower with the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele, and Malcom joining Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez up front to form dynamic attacking trios, their defensive record this term has been nothing to write home about.
Barcelona have taken in 4 goals in the Champions League this term, keeping clean sheets in only 2 of their 5 games so far. La Blaugrana also have one of the worst defensive records in LaLiga this season, having conceded a whopping 19 goals in just 15 games in the Spanish top flight - an embarrassment to the fact that they finished with the second best defensive record in the division last season.
