Are Barcelona Destined to Win the Champions League This Season?
Barcelona have been the powerhouse of European football for well over a decade and it would take a brave man to back against La Blaugrana in the 2018/19 Champions League campaign. Ernesto Valverde’s men fell short against AS Roma last season despite scoring four goals in the first leg and Barca will be looking to make amends for that defeat this time around.
Manchester City are the early favourites to win Europe’s elite club competition in 2018/19 but Barcelona will take some stopping – it may prove prudent to side with the Spanish side ahead of the group stages. Tottenham Hotspur, Inter Milan and PSV Eindhoven await in the initial round of fixtures; not the easiest group but Barca will be confident of advancing to the last 16 as group winners.
Our opponents in Group B of the 2018-19 @ChampionsLeague!
What do you think? #UCLDraw pic.twitter.com/TGdOWVlZPw— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 30, 2018
From there, it is all about the luck of the draw. Barcelona are well-fancied whenever they take to the field but coming up against Pep Guardiola’s side will be tough over two legs. A Camp Nou legend in his own right, Pep is building a dynasty at the Etihad Stadium and the Champions League is the final piece of the jigsaw. Expect the Premier League outfit to be one of Barcelona’s main rivals in Europe this season.
With Lionel Messi back at his brilliant best, anything is possible. The Argentina star has been sublime during the early stages of the campaign – notching four goals and two assists in the first three La Liga fixtures. In addition, Messi has been named Man of the Match in two of those games and he looks set to enjoy another successful 2018/19 campaign. Watch this space, a sixth Ballon d’Or beckons if he hits top form…
The early Champions League football odds show Barcelona at 13/2 to win the competition this season; there is certainly value in backing Valverde’s men. Barca lost just one La Liga fixture in 2017/18 and bettors will fancy the Spanish giants to challenge on multiple fronts. Silverware is an absolute must for a club of Barcelona’s stature; winning trophies is in their DNA.
On paper, this Barcelona side isn’t as glamorous as it has been in the past. The likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Neymar have all walked out of the Camp Nou exit door in years gone by but Barca’s general style and philosophy has not waned. Total football, inspired by former Barcelona star Johan Cruyff, is always going to be the way at Camp Nou. Expect lots of razzle-dazzle from the five-time European champions in 2018/19.
Barcelona will fancy their chances of securing European title number six this campaign, and who can blame them for being confident? Valverde’s side put eight goals past Huesca in their most recent La Liga fixture and they will take some stopping – both domestically and in the Champions League. Last season’s defeat to Roma cut La Blaugrana deep and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Barcelona triumph in response.