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In his first season in charge of the Nou Camp, Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde was able to deliver a fantastic domestic double in the Catalan capital and was on the verge of making it a treble with the UEFA Champions League but a 3-0 defeat to Roma was enough to conclude another miserable European campaign for the LaLiga champions.
It is quite disappointing that despite their dominance in the Spanish top flight, the Catalans have failed to progress from the quarterfinals in the European tournament for the past 3 years and the fact that their arch-rivals Real Madrid have won the tournament in each of those years has added more salt to their wounds.
Therefore, La Blaugrana have come back this season with great determination to conquer Europe and considering the recent developments at the club, it finally looks like they are ready to claim the prestigious trophy this season and below are 5 reasons that suggest so:
#5 Brilliant start
After losing their European dominance to their arch-rivals Real Madrid in each of the past three years, Barcelona will be looking forward to winning the UEFA Champions League this season and if their performances in the competition so far are anything to go by, the LaLiga giants are finally ready to rule the continent once again.
The Catalans have started the tournament in a fantastic fashion, defeating Dutch side PSV Eindhoven 4-0 at the Nou Camp in their opening fixture before producing an extraordinary performance against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley to claim another 4-2 victory over the Premier League outfit.
Ernesto Valverde's men have arguably been the most impressive side in the European tournament so far this season, sealing a brilliant six points in their first 2 games and recording a whopping eight goals in the process to send themselves on top of group B.
#4 Lionel Messi back to his best in Europe
When it comes to rating the top performers in the UEFA Champions League so far this season, Argentine superstar Lionel Messi is definitely in a class of his own with his scintillating displays for Barcelona since the competition began this term.
The diminutive playmaker has emerged with a serious mission to help La Blaugrana restore their continental dominance and his explosive performances in the competition have come at the right time to boost Barcelona's chances of winning the trophy.
Messi started his European campaign this term with an electrifying display, bagging an incredible hat-trick to help Barcelona secure a 4-0 victory against PSV Eindhoven in their opening fixture before following it up with another eye-catching performance against Tottenham Hotspur - a game in which he also struck an amazing brace.
The playmaker is currently leading the goalscoring charts with a whopping five goals in just two games and with such fantastic form, the Argentine is well on track to help La Blaugrana achieve a successful European outing this term.
#3 Squad depth
For the first time in as many years, the Barcelona squad finally looks convincing and ready to fight for the UEFA Champions League trophy this season, with plenty of talented superstars putting up spectacular performances and a healthy competition for places in the first team.
The likes of Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho, Arthur Melo, Nelson Semedo and Clement Lenglet are firing on all cylinders at the moment, giving Ernesto Valverde plenty of options as he works towards getting the best out of the immense resources at his disposal.
The manager also has a lot of fantastic superstars on the bench, including the likes of Malcom, Thomas Vermelean, Denis Suarez, Munir El Haddadi, and Arturo Vidal and these players will be influential as the season progresses, giving room for rotation and tactical flexibility which will be pivotal for the team to focus on winning the UEFA Champions League.
#2 The midfield is strong again
The decline and departures of Barcelona's midfield geniuses - Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta caused Barcelona's midfield to lose its strength during the past few years and that also contributed immensely towards their failure in the UEFA Champions League.
However, following successful outings in both the winter and summer transfer windows this year, Barcelona's midfield has become lively once again from what we have witnessed so far.
Brazilian superstar Arthur Melo has been the biggest revelation at the Nou Camp, with his ability to dictate play from the middle of the pitch, hold on to possession, distribute short passes and making vital tackles to improve the overall team play.
While his compatriot, Philippe Coutinho has continued with his brilliant performances in the Catalan capital. Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic have both been awakened this season while Arturo Vidal, Denis Suarez, and Carles Alena are also decent options to call upon from the bench.
Having a reliable midfield behind him, Lionel Messi has been playing closer to goal and with the way the team is moving, they look ready to win the UEFA Champions League this season.
#1 The Champions League has finally become a priority
After failing to win the European tournament in each of the past 3 years as well crashing out of the competition in the quarterfinals during each of those years, it doesn't require much thinking to know which competition Barcelona have prioritized for the season.
The Blaugrana are well known for their attitude to fight for every trophy before them and give equal importance to every competition they participate in annually. However, there has been a slight change to that policy this year, with the Catalans now prioritizing the UEFA Champions League more than ever and that is a big boost to their mission to conquer Europe during the campaign.
Addressing the Nou Camp faithful for the first time as Barcelona captain, Argentine maestro Lionel Messi promised that the squad would do everything possible to ensure they deliver the Champions League trophy in the Catalan capital during the campaign. He was quoted saying:
"Although last year we won La Liga and the Copa del Rey, we all got stung in the Champions League.
"We promise that we will do everything possible so that this beautiful cup returns to the Camp Nou again."
Such comments from the 5-time Ballon d'Or winner only further emphasizes that the Catalan giants are ready to win the coveted Champions League trophy this season.
