Atop La Liga, Barcelona needs to show strength in Copa del Rey and Champions League play.
Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde has things under control. The team sits comfortably at the top of the La Liga table, followed by Atletico Madrid, which trails by 6 points. Perennial power, Real Madrid, lags in third place, 8 points behind Barcelona.
Barca is also into the last 16 of the Champions League and of course, in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.
Courtesy: Europa Press
All of that said, it’s important to point out that Valverde and his men have been able to move ahead unencumbered–except for last week, when the team lost to Sevilla, 2-0, in the first leg of Copa del Rey.
But that loss was simply a bump in the road. Barcelona regained composure to register a mammoth 6-1 win at Camp Nou. The team now takes an aggregate scoreboard of 6-3 in the 2nd leg.
Overall, I think the squad looks sharp and fit. Unlike last year, Valverde now has a full stable of players. He has the best player in the world, Messi, and has been able to play Arturo Vidal and Arthur Melo interchangeably. The same can be said of Ousmane Dembele, Carles Alena, and Malcom.
While things look rosy for Barcelona, the fact remains that Roma knocked them out of the Champions League quarter-finals last April. That means nothing can be taken for granted.
Tests await Valverde’s men, including four contests against Real—today and February 27 in Copa del Ray, and on March 2 and March 17 in La Liga. Then, there’s the March 13 Champions League match versus Lyon. Those are five critical games for Barca.
Up to this point, though, so far so good for Valverde.
