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It has been an underwhelming start to their title defence for Barcelona, with multiple points dropped against lesser opposition, while their play has been beneath their usual high standards and come in for heightened criticism.
It is not far-fetched to suggest that Barcelona are currently struggling and Valverde would have to implement some changes to turn things around at Camp Nou.
Though they sit joint-top of the league at the moment, there are many who believe Barcelona will not successfully defend their league crown and while there might be some truth to this, it is highly likely that the Catalans would triumph in Spain for a third season running.
In this piece, we shall be highlighting three reasons why Barcelona will win a 27th league title come May next year.
#3 Their rivals are not in top form
For many years, LaLiga was effectively a two-horse race between Real Madrid and Barcelona, with one of the two most times triumphing in the league.
The spectacular rise of Atletico Madrid in recent years disrupted the status quo and the trio have been engaged in battles for supremacy both on the continent and domestically. However, this season, it has not been smooth sailing for any of them.
As already indicated, Barcelona have had their fair share of struggles this season, but things have not fared too brightly for their Clasico rivals either and although Real Madrid are on a six-game unbeaten run, this masks some beneath-par performances and individual player struggles.
For their part, Atletico Madrid have been plagued by their usual woes in front of goal and have been beleaguered by injury concerns, while they also seem to have lost that defensive solidity that saw them protect leads and they have been subject of boos by their own fans.
Beyond the capital clubs, there are not many other teams that could effectively challenge Barcelona's claim to LaLiga and in light of their struggles, the Catalans could well be on their way to yet another league crown.
Also check out:La Liga La Liga fixtures La liga table 2019-20
#2 The Lionel Messi factor
Lionel Messi is unarguably the single greatest player in LaLiga's 90-year history and Barcelona have been immensely lucky to have had his services for the last 15 years.
The 32-year-old's abilities are well documented and with him in the side, the Blaugrana have a significant advantage over all other teams in the league, as no player currently in LaLiga even comes close to matching his extraterrestrial performance levels.
A large part of Barcelona's struggles earlier on in the season came as a result of their skipper's absence due to a calf injury and their form improved drastically upon his return to full fitness - it does not take a rocket scientist to make the corroboration between the two.
Provided Messi stays fit, Barcelona have much higher chances of winning matches thus improving their chances of successfully defending their LaLiga title.
#1 Their players know how to get the job done
While their continental woes in recent years might be well documented, it has been an entirely different story for Barcelona domestically and the Catalans have been near-invincible in the Spanish league.
In the last 11 seasons, Barcelona have won eight league titles, with Real Madrid and Atletico completing the roll call of champions in that time with two and one titles respectively.
The Champions League is a 13-game competition that rewards teams and players who can step up to the plate once every fortnight and their performance in those 90 minutes determine their fate regardless of what they do elsewhere.
By contrast, a league campaign is a nine-month-long, 38-game, gruelling ordeal that requires optimum concentration to get result week-in, week-out and Barcelona players seem to have mastered the art of getting the job done domestically and this experience in going over the line would come in handy during the home-run stage of the season.
