Yet again, Barcelona have shown they can be below their best and still walk off the pitch as winners. That's a very dangerous thing. Because when Barcelona are on their game, no team in the world can beat them. No one. There is far too much skill, talent and attacking force for them to be stopped when they all click. What makes it worrying is this is a team who are figuring out how to win games and score even when they are not dominating. So who the hell can stop them?
Bayern looked impressive against Juventus and are showing signs that maybe Pep has gotten the balance right and this could be their year. Real Madrid are looking more pleasurable on the eye under Zidane, they know the Barcelona players very well and understand their weaknesses. Of course there's Atletico who schooled the Catalans at their cribb and are one star player from being able to legitimately beat Barcelona. Apart from those three, I don't see anyone else who can match them. Don't even mention PSG because they will just get spanked again just as they did last year.
Most people, just by looking at personnel, would put Bayern and Real Madrid as the best chances. But I'm not sure I trust Pep's defensive tactics against Barcelona. Madrid may have a new coach, but not sure if they've gotten over that very painful lubrication that they got in the hands of their fierce rivals. It was a very bad beating and that kind of lashing can really eat at you mentally.
What I am warning of all football clubs is not to allow Barcelona to be so disrespectful, and to go ahead and win the treble yet again. But the danger is there, and nothing I have seen from any team says to me that they can outscore that front three of Barcelona. I don't see a team that has a great defensive game with top-tier defenders who can handle and bring in some physicality and reading of the game to foil the attacks of Messi, the Cannibal and Neymar.
Football is a strange thing though. I did not think that Bayern would so easily dominate the best team in Italy away from home. I also was amazed as to how well Atletico played against Barcelona, and made the Catalans be the ones to chase shadows. So there could be that one match where it doesn't work for Barcelona and they just get outplayed. We all are aghast by it, but it merely unfolds before our eyes.
There's always that possibility...
But as of right now, Barcelona are chasing history and they know they can even be more legendary than they already have been. So the question remains; who is brave enough and have big enough brass balls to stop them from conquering all oncomers yet again?HH
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