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#4 FC Barcelona
On the 1st of May, 2019, Barcelona dispatched Liverpool in the semi-final first leg at the Camp Nou. Lionel Messi turned in a virtuoso display that evening and set the ideal platform for the Blaugrana to make their first Champions League final since 2015.
However, just a few days later, their campaign unravelled rather spectacularly as Liverpool trampled them 4-0 at Anfield. The enormous margin of victory also meant that Barcelona were dumped out of the competition while memories of that infamous night in Rome in 2018 also came gushing back.
Over the past couple of seasons, the Spanish side has looked imperious on their home patch, with the likes of Luis Suarez and Messi ripping teams apart. Yet, on their travels, they’ve looked anything but an outfit primed to leave Europe’s elite in its wake.
On several occasions, the intent (or lack of) in away games has come under the scanner as Ernesto Valverde has failed to properly blend caution and aggression.
Inevitably, they’ve looked indecisive and toothless on the road, especially in crunch knock-out fixtures. And, unfortunately for them, that trend has continued at the start of the 2019-20 season too with the Blaugrana failing to post a victory in both of their away La Liga games.
Yet, having said that, Barcelona do boast of a certain Messi, a mercurial talent who has the ability to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and tilt it his team’s way.
In addition, Frenkie de Jong, Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele and Suarez provide plenty of firepower in the offensive third.
However, despite their prowess upfront, one just reckons their 2019-20 Champions League term could boil down to how well they correct their blues on the road.
After all, they wouldn’t want another tragedy away from home, especially after what transpired in Liverpool a few months ago.
