3 Reasons why Barcelona look primed to win the UEFA Champions League
In April 2018, Barcelona were acrimoniously dumped out of Europe’s premier club competition by AS Roma. Despite holding a three-goal advantage heading into the second leg, the Spanish outfit succumbed to the barrage of pressure their Italian counterparts threw at them.
Ever since then, the Blaugrana have been seething and waiting for their opportunity to make things right. And this season’s UEFA Champions League accords them the perfect platform to do so.
So far, the Camp Nou outfit has performed admirably in Europe with the draws to Tottenham and Inter Milan representing the only points lost during the campaign.
Additionally, Barcelona has been a force to reckon with domestically and currently, enjoy a five-point lead over their nearest rivals, Atletico Madrid in LaLiga.
The Spanish outfit is slated to face Lyon in the Round of 16 and with the French side not setting the world ablaze yet, many expect Barcelona to progress. However, does Barcelona have enough in their tank to go all the way in Europe this time and lay their hands on a trophy they’ve been craving since 2015?
Through this article, we would look at three reasons which seem to answer the above question in the affirmative and place the Blaugrana in pole position to lift the title at the Metropolitano in June.
#3 Greater strength in midfield and defence
Last season, Barcelona looked hopelessly exposed in the middle of the park. Though Iniesta had been one of their best players ever, he wasn’t on the same level physically and the Spanish side eventually suffered. Moreover, the third component of their midfield remained elusive.
Yet, this term, with the acquisition of Vidal and Arthur, they seem better equipped to handle the challenges in Europe. While the former provides some much-needed steel in midfield, the latter seems to have been cut out of the cloth which produced the likes of Xavi, Iniesta and Thiago.
Having Vidal in the mix gives Valverde the option to play with two out and out defensive midfielders in crunch away games whereas Arthur can be drafted in to take the game to the opposition.
As for the defence, Lenglet has fit in like a glove at Barcelona and has been superb at the heart of the defence. In addition, Semedo has really come off age and his inclusion injects pace in an otherwise sluggish defence-line.
Though the onus would again fall on Barcelona’s flair players to produce the goods when push comes to shove, a stronger rear-guard surely enhances their chances of success.
The defenders and midfielders might not hog as much of the headlines as their illustrious attacking peers, yet it could just be the aspect which firmly tilts the Champions League in their favour.
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