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It has been a very interesting 2018-19 season so far, with plenty of surprises and exciting developments as European clubs continue to struggle in order to keep themselves in contention across various competitions, and Catalan giants FC Barcelona will be glad they have put themselves in a decent position as we approach the decisive stages of the campaign.
La Blaugrana have earned themselves a good start, taking their seat on top of the LaLiga table with 34 points in 16 games so far, and they have also made it into the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League, having emerged as the leaders of Group B with an impressive 14 points.
With the way things are going at the moment, it looks like La Blaugrana only have their eyes set on progress this season. While they keep moving in the right direction towards glory, we quickly take a look at 5 factors that could inspire Ernesto Valverde's men to achieve success during the campaign.
#5 Squad depth
Barcelona did very well during the last two transfer windows (summer and winter), strengthening their squad by signing a number of incredible superstars by virtue of which they have now assembled one of the strongest squads in Europe at the moment.
Their attack is filled with fantastic options, with the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho, and Malcom joining Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez up front, while Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic have been boosted by the arrival of Arthur Melo and Arturo Vidal in the middle of the pitch.
The defense also received an upgrade in the form of former Sevilla centre-back, Clement Lenglet, who is thriving alongside the likes of Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Sergi Roberto, and Nelson Semedo at the moment.
While the bench is filled with high-quality options such as Rafinha Alcantara, Munir El Haddadi, and Denis Suarez, La Blaugrana also have a couple of youth players who have impressed whenever they have gotten the opportunity this season, with the likes of Carles Alena, and Riqui Puig dominating the headlines in recent weeks.
With such a number of incredible superstars in their ranks, La Blaugrana have a decent squad ready to compete for everything this season, and there is no doubt their strength-in-depth will help them a lot as they aim to achieve success during the campaign.
#4 Momentum
Barcelona have not been at their overall best this season - at least given that they struggled with consistency a few weeks ago - but the Catalans have maintained their high-flying momentum with which they have stayed ahead of the storm so far, and that is one of the factors which could inspire them to success during the campaign.
After failing in the UEFA Champions League for the past 3 years, La Blaugrana have returned ruthlessly into the European tournament this season, tearing opposition teams apart on their way to becoming the first team to make it into the knockout rounds, as well as making qualification look very easy despite being drawn in a group of death alongside the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan in Group B.
Their domestic campaign has not been perfect amidst defensive issues and a lack of consistency, but Ernesto Valverde's men rode on their momentum to ensure they remain on top in the Spanish top flight. If they maintain such an incredible spirit, they will surely be smiling come the end of the campaign.
#3 Lionel Messi's brilliance
You are always in a great position to achieve success if you have the best player in the world playing in your team, and that is why the presence of an unstoppable Lionel Messi automatically qualifies Barcelona as a club primed to progress this season.
The Argentine international has been at an unmatchable level since the beginning of the term, tearing opposition defenses apart with his incredible talent, and sending the ball onto the back of the net almost at will to keep the LaLiga champions in pole position as they continue to march forward.
Messi is currently the top scorer across Europe's top 5 leagues, with an incredible 14 goals and 10 assists to his name in 14 LaLiga appearances for Ernesto Valverde's men, while his UEFA Champions League campaign has also been nothing short of electrifying, having sent the ball onto the back of the net a whopping 6 times, as well as setting up another one in just 4 games so far.
With the Argentine at such an extraordinary level, it's a huge indication Barcelona are well on track to achieve immense success during the campaign.
All stats via transfermarkt
#2 Presence of various difference makers
You have read in the previous slide that the brilliance of Lionel Messi is one of the reasons why Barcelona are primed for success this season, due to his ability to pull the unimaginable. But it would be a mistake to put the whole focus on the diminutive Argentine, as Barcelona still possess other superstars who are also capable of deciding the fate of matches.
Former Borussia Dortmund winger, Ousmane Dembele, is one superstar who has proven his magical abilities to the world during the past few weeks, while Philippe Coutinho has been a nuclear threat to opposition defenses ever since he joined La Blaugrana from Liverpool in January.
In these two players, Barcelona have incredible attacking talents who can make the difference up front in any game, while the likes of Arthur Melo and Malcom can also provide extraordinary game-changing support at any moment.
#1 Messidepencia is over
Not to stress it too much, we all know what Lionel Messi is capable of doing and how important his presence is to Barcelona's chances of claiming success this season. But what will happen to Ernesto Valverde's men if the Argentine picks up an injury as the season progresses, or if he has an off day in an important game?
No Messi, no problem - Barcelona have proven that to us this season after the playmaker got injured in a recent LaLiga game against Sevilla, and was ruled out of action for a couple of weeks with important fixtures lying ahead.
La Blaugrana rose up in fantastic fashion and responded perfectly as a team during their star man's injury layoff, defeating the likes of Real Madrid and Inter Milan to send an important message across to the football world that there is more to this Barcelona side than Lionel Messi.
If such a scenario repeats itself as the season progresses, the Catalans already have an answer to it - meaning they can keep the team flying high in the absence of their star player, and that will help them immensely as they target success during the campaign.
