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A 3-1 victory over Italian outfit, Juventus in the UEFA Champions League final in 2015 granted Barcelona Europe's most coveted trophy for the last time, with the Catalans escalating the excitement in the Camp Nou faithful by winning 5 incredible trophies during that campaign.
However, a disappointing 3-0 loss to a different Italian side, Roma was enough to send the Catalans away from the Champions League tournament last season. After earning a 4-1 victory over the Giallorossi during the first leg of their quarterfinal encounter, Barcelona fell to a shocking 3-0 defeat in the return fixture and they were knocked out on away-goal differences by the Italians to conclude another miserable campaign for the LaLiga champions.
That embarrassing defeat marked the third straight year in which the Blaugrana have failed in Europe. Despite dominating at the domestic level during the past few years, it is quite obvious that the Catalans have failed to replicate such brilliance in the European tournament, failing to progress from the quarterfinals of the competition in each of the past 3 seasons.
However, considering the recent revolutions that have taken place at the club, it finally looks like the Catalans are ready to win the Champions League this season and below are 5 developments that could aid their European quest:
#5. Return to the 4-3-3 formation
The departure of Neymar Junior and a little crisis in the Barcelona squad forced Ernesto Valverde to adopt the 4-4-2 formation last season and while it provided balance and defensive improvements, the Catalans were not as impressive going forward - forcing Lionel Messi to take on most of the goalscoring responsibilities.
However, the manager has changed his layout from the 4-4-2 formation to the famous 4-3-3 this season and that change has allowed the Blaugrana to improve their attacking flow, increasing the pressure on opposing defences as well as getting the best out of players like Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho, and Jordi Alba.
It should not be forgotten that the 4-3-3 formation has been the most effective setup that Barcelona have utilised in their long and illustrious history. As a matter of fact, both Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique did not just win the UEFA Champions League with this system, they also completed fantastic trebles during their respective tenures at the club.
Therefore, the change of system has come at the right time for the Catalan giants who intend to conquer Europe this season and there is no doubt the 4-3-3 formation could aid them in their quest to win the UEFA Champions League during the term.
#4. Squad depth
Barcelona's struggles in the UEFA Champions League in each of the past 3 years were all due to fatigue and inappropriate rotation and all those arose because they lacked appropriate depth in their squad. But that now looks like forgotten history, with the Catalan giants now owning one of the biggest and strongest squads in Europe at the moment.
Ernesto Valverde now has plenty of options at his disposal, with a lot of incredible superstars both in his starting lineup and on the bench. The likes of Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele have linked up with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez up front and they have all impressed with their performances so far.
Clement Lenglet and Arthur Melo have been two of the top performers for the Blaugrana following their transfers to the Nou Camp this season while the likes of Arturo Vidal, Malcom, Rafinha Alcantara and Munir El Haddadi are all ready to provide support from the bench.
Rotation and fatigue should not be a big problem for the Catalan giants this season and with such an impressive squad, Barcelona have everything they need to claim the coveted Champions League trophy this season.
#3. The midfield has regained its strength
One area in which Barcelona have improved dramatically this season is in the middle of the pitch, with the Catalans now steadily getting over the departures of their midfield maestros - Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta.
Summer signing, Arthur Melo has helped to fill a huge void in Barcelona's midfield this term with his incredible artistry on the ball. Believed by many to be the heir to Xavi, the 22-year-old has won the hearts of the Blaugrana faithful, producing a couple of fantastic performances and displaying his decent passing, amazing vision, brilliant link-up and the ability to control the tempo of the game from the centre of the park.
Sergio Busquets has come back to his obvious best, Ivan Rakitic is an awoken man at the moment, while the likes of Arturo Vidal, Denis Suarez, and Rafinha Alcantara are quality options from the bench.
The resurgence of the midfield has given the likes of Messi and Coutinho the freedom to focus more on attack and with the way the team is moving, the Catalans actually have a reason to believe they can win the UEFA Champions League this season.
#2. Their major rivals are now weak
The UEFA Champions League is the most coveted trophy in Europe and that is why it always produces a very tough contest. However, Barcelona could have it easier in the tournament this season, considering that their top rivals in the competition have become very weak and are failing to convince with their performances.
Their arch-rivals Real Madrid dominated the tournament in each of the past 3 years but following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, who left for Juventus this summer, Los Blancos have lost their firepower and they have been in a serious crisis since about three weeks into the term.
German champions, Bayern Munich have been far from their best while the likes of Paris Saint Germain and Atletico Madrid have not been very impressive in their European outings either. This development could also help Barcelona in their mission to claim Champions League glory this season.
#1. Priority
The objective of Barcelona every season is to fight for every trophy in front of them and give equal importance to every competition they participate in. But, having failed on the European stage in each of the past 3 years, there has been a slight change to this mentality, with the Catalan giants now giving more priority to the UEFA Champions League this season and that could help them in their bid to conquer Europe during the term.
Speaking as the Blaugrana's captain for the first time, club legend Lionel Messi promised that the squad would do everything possible to win the coveted trophy this term. The Argentine was quoted as saying:
"Although last year we won La Liga and the Copa del Rey, we all got stung in the Champions League.
"We promise that we will do everything possible so that this beautiful cup returns to the Camp Nou again."
Therefore, this concrete determination and the prioritization of the UEFA Champions League is another development that could aid Barcelona's quest to conquer the continent during the term.
