5 reasons why Barcelona will once again fail in the Champions League this season
Winning the Champions League is a dream for every elite club in Europe. It is, therefore, no surprise that Barcelona wants to win it too. The Catalans dominated La Liga in three of the last four seasons but have been unlucky in their European venture in the same period.
The last time the Blaugrana paraded the continental crown along the streets of Catalonia was in 2015, when the attacking trident of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar Junior delivered the iconic trophy under the management of Luis Enrique.
Since then, they have suffered a series of embarrassing eliminations from the competition. Everyone remembers how they threw away a three-goal advantage and were humiliated by Roma in Italy during the 2017-2018 campaign. They suffered another capitulation at Anfield last season - adding one more year to their wait for Champions League triumph.
The reigning Spanish champions are still hoping to return to the summit of European football and have already made it to the Round Of 16 stage of the UCL this season. While fans hold on to the belief that this could be the year they get to celebrate another UCL trophy win, there are certain factors that suggest they will fail once again.
We take a look at five reasons why Barcelona will fail to win the Champions League this season:
Also Read: Barcelona need to step up right away to salvage the season
#5 Lionel Messi's quiet goal-scoring run
Let's face the truth. This is one of the worst outings Lionel Messi has endured in recent years. Truly, no one can deny his abilities in front of goal as he boasts of over 600 goals in his career and is, without doubt, one of the greatest finishers the world has seen.
In the same vein, no one can deny the fact that the Argentine is below his normal goalscoring standards this season. The 32-year-old has bagged only 14 goals in La Liga and two in the Champions League so far this term. At this stage last season, he already had 25 efforts in the Spanish top-flight and six in Europe. He is also currently on his longest goal drought in the domestic league since 2014, having failed to find the back of the net in his last four games.
Considering how much Barcelona depend on Messi's brilliance, it is difficult to imagine them claiming any trophy if he isn't scoring consistently. Unless the attacker finds his scoring boots soon, the Catalans' chances of making history in Europe remain slim.