Barcelona’s memorable and awe-inspiring victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League will be one that will be replayed, talked about and reminisced over for years to come. The Catalans mounted an unthinkable comeback to beat the Parisian team over two legs to progress to the quarter-finals of the competition.
The Blaugrana have dominated European football for over a decade, winning trophies domestically and in Europe, playing football that is easy on the eye with Catalan passion and verve.
When in full flow, Barca can be the deadliest team in the world, cutting through defences with the swiftness of a trained swordsman, and bringing the opposition to their knees – literally and figuratively.
But, what ingredients go into making the Spanish giants tick and dominate games from start to finish?
#5 Cauldron of noise at home
The Nou Camp, one of the great theatres of world football, seats close to 100,000 people, and on game night, it can put any other stadium in world sport to shame with their loud, passionate and vocal Culés. For Barcelona fans, the club is not just a football team; it is a social and political tool to speak up for the independence of Catalonia, and the oft-used phrase – Més que un club (More than a club) – describes them perfectly.
Chants of independence and pro-Catalonia songs are often sung at the Nou Camp and it makes for a terrifying atmosphere for opposition clubs and an uplifting one for the players wearing blue and red on the pitch. Apart from the vociferous crowd, banners and flags all around the stadium can put off opposition players with the strongest mental fortitude.
The Barcelona players have acknowledged the impact the fans have on their performances on the pitch, but there have also been instances when the fans show their displeasure of the team and the manager by booing them. This happened as recently as February 2017 when the Catalans booed outgoing manager, Luis Enrique, when the results were not going their way.
In the recent historic victory over PSG, the celebrations of the fans in the Nou Camp caused small tremors which were recorded on the Richter scale!
#4 Fear factor
For years, the Catalan team have rolled over, humiliated and convincingly defeated their opponents in Spain and Europe with their brand of fast, precise and incisive football, which is energy-sapping, mentally and physically for opponents.
Barcelona have always had gifted individual talents – from László Kubala to Johan Cryuff, and Brazilians, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho, to Messi, and now, Neymar – and there has been no shortage of world-class footballers who could change the course of the game with their prodigious talent.
But, Barcelona has always been about the team as a whole; the team which includes the players, the backroom staff, and more importantly, the fans.
That combine, coupled with the aura of facing one of the greatest teams in the world is a daunting task for any side and may bring jitters to even the most experienced of players.
(Video Courtesy: LhageBendada YouTube Channel)
This season, the Catalans have had an average possession of 61% and an average of nearly 17 shots per game. And with strikers of the calibre of Messi, Neymar and Suarez, there are bound to be many that ripple the back of the net.
Teams facing the Catalans often sit back and defend in fear of being dispatched off easily, but it is often a counter-intuitive tactic as it offers the freedom of the pitch to the fleet-footed and quick players that Barcelona possess, as PSG found out at Camp Nou.
The ability of the Blaugrana’s players to adapt to different pitch conditions and opposition tactics to stop them from playing, as well as embracing new systems, gives them an edge over other teams.
#3 Never-say-die attitude
Talent can only take a player and a team so far, but the urge to win and succeed every time they step on the pitch is what decides games. Barcelona are never short of talent, but another quality that they possess in abundance is the will to go the extra mile, fight till the final whistle, and triumph at any cost.
The Catalan team have not had a great season by the incredible standards that they’ve set – even though they are just a few points away from the league leaders in the La Liga and progressed to the last stages of the Champions League – but have fought and never given up in each game. They have scored 48 goals in the second half in the league this season, 26 of those coming in away games.
Such is their determination to go till the end that they have scored 15 of their league goals in the last 15 minutes of the game. The most memorable of late goals this season have been the three they scored against PSG in seven minutes, and the late goals against Valencia and Atletico Madrid.
#2 Controversial refereeing in favour of Barcelona
This is a contentious issue, but there’s good reason for this to make it to the list. Neutrals will admit that Barcelona have always had the rub of the green when it comes to dubious refereeing decisions. Refereeing is no easy task, but officiating in a match involving the Catalan giants is a task made tougher because of the millions of eyes trained on the man in black in the middle and his every decision.
Referees are often subject to criticism from all corners during the match; from the manager on the touchline, the players, and even the fans. The added pressure of giving a decision against Barcelona could convince referees to give decisions in favour of them instead.
A majority of the penalties for Barcelona may have been rightly awarded thanks to Barca's quick-thinking forwards and their unreal skills, flicks and tricks.
But, there have also been many match-winning, game-changing penalties that altered the course of history, which were dubious calls by the referee, often pressurised to make a decision by the crowd, the players, or an exaggerated fall at the slightest hint of a touch by the opposition.
The fans in the Nou Camp recently waved white handkerchiefs at the officials for what they perceived to be bad refereeing against their beloved club.
Barcelona players have been accused of diving to win penalties and also feigning injury to get their opponents booked. The stats back up the claim of referees possibly favouring the club; the Catalan club have been awarded 47 penalties in the last five seasons, three more than rivals, Real Madrid, while they had just 13 penalties given against them, compared to 22 awarded against Real Madrid.
One memorable match which was controversial and lives in the memory of football fans for all the wrong reasons is the Barcelona-Chelsea game from 2009 in the UEFA Champions League semi-final. Chelsea were denied at least four clear penalties, while a late Iniesta goal saw Barcelona through to the finals on away goals.
There was more controversy in last year’s Champions League quarter-finals when fellow Spanish club, Atletico Madrid, bore the brunt of silly refereeing decisions. Fernando Torres was wrongly sent off in the eyes of many, while Luis Suarez – who has a reputation of going down easily and having a temper to rival the mafioso – escaped punishment for two off-the-ball incidents, which many claimed to be red card-worthy.
UEFA-lona, a term coined by rival fans which suggest that Barcelona are favoured by UEFA, is bandied about on social media for what they consider is injustice and clear favouritism towards the Catalan club.
#1 Lionel Messi
There are very few sports personalities who can capture the imagination of millions of people around the globe. The few who achieve greatness, stay at the top for a brief period or fade away after a few memorable years. But, there’s one player, one enigma, one phenomenon, who has taken the game to the next level, pushed the boundaries, created new records and memories that will last a lifetime for his fans – Lionel Messi.
The story of the Argentine has been told countless times; his initial setbacks, his prodigious talent, him being the centrepiece of a beautiful jigsaw that seamlessly fit in to make something magical, dreamy and unlike anything ever seen in football history.
For many, he’s Mozart on the pitch, for a few others, he’s a miracle from God, and millions wonder of his humanness. The Argentine has already scored 39 goals this season; a number that many teams score in an entire season. Messi has scored over 35 goals every season for Barcelona since the 2008-09 campaign, the pinnacle of his Barcelona career was the 2011-12 season when he scored a mind-boggling 73 goals for the Catalans!
Just the mere sight of the nimble-footed, gazelle-like quickness and the ability of him to do the unthinkable puts fear into opposition defenders.
A scary fact for rival fans and Messi critics is that at the age of 29, the ‘Little Genius’ still has several years to rewrite history and torment oppositions, and truly cement his status as the Greatest of All Time.
“The only bad thing about Ronaldo’s life is Messi. If it was not for him, Ronaldo would be the best player in the world for five years in a row” - Felipe Scolari
