UEFA Champions League: 5 Reasons Barca Won't Be Stopped This Season

FC Barcelona is enjoying its best season in the UEFA Champions League and La Liga. Barca is in first place in both competitions.

What can be said about Barca and its recent victories in both events.La Blaugrana is an unstoppable machine in football. We are going to concentrate on the participation of FC Barcelona in the current UEFA Champions League matches.

5. More Than a Club

One of the cardinal reasons independent of players and managers is the motto of FC Barcelona. La Blaugrana prides itself on being more than a club.

The members (fans, players, and managers) are a big family. It is this sense of family that brings unity which makes Barca unstoppable.

I am a supporter of FC Barcelona and have the honor of considering the team my family. While it cannot be explained in words, the following You Tube video (courtesy of FC Barcelona) explains the reason why Barca is unstoppable.

4. Andres Iniesta

Andres Iniesta is one of the Barca players (along with Lionel Messi) nominated for the Ballon d'Or.  He recently received the Best Player in Europe Award from UEFA.

Iniesta received the award with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo sharing second place. Iniesta was instrumental in Spain´s victory during the Euro 2012 tournament.

Iniesta won 55 Liga victories for Barca during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. He surpassed Emilio Butragueno´s record of 50 Liga victories.

Unfortunately, the string of victories ended with Barca losing to Real Madrid on April 21, 2012. Regardless, Iniesta is a Barca player to contend with in the current UCL season.

3. Pep Guardiola

The present victories would be impossible without Pep Guardiola. Guardiola ushered in a new era for Barca when he became manager in 2008.

When he left La Blaugrana in 2012, Barca had been transformed into an efficient football team. FC Barcelona won three La Liga trophies and two UCL Championships.

La Blaugrana won the Copa Del Rey, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA World Club Cup. Jose Mourinho, who is the Real Madrid coach (and rival), praised Guardiola´s work at Barca.

Guardiola received the praises of Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG), Arsene Wenger (Arsenal manager), and Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United manager) for his time at Barca.

2. Tito Vilanova

Tito Vilanova deserves the credit for an unstoppable Barca this season. Vilanova continued the work left by his predecessor Pep Guardiola.

Vilanova inspired Barca to work as a united team to obtain one goal. The goal was to go forward and win matches.

The results are present in the Group G UCL Tables as published in ESPN Soccernet. At the present time, FC Barcelona is in first place with 12 points.

Barca has four wins, one loss, 11 goals scored and five against. The goal differential for La Blaugrana is six.

1. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is the main reason for Barca advancing in the UCL. Barca's victory over Athletic Club Bilbao reinforced that trend.

Messi scored two goals that were decisive in the victory over Bilbao. The goals by Messi are within a short distance of Gerd Muller´s goal-scoring record of 85 in 1972.

Messi is way beyond Pele´s goal-scoring record of 75 in 1958, as reported in the FC Barcelona website. He is recently on the list for the Ballon d'Ór award this January.

Messi equaled Cesar Rodriguez´s record of 190 league goals for La Blaugrana. Messi, at the present time, may even help Barca win the UCL trophy this season.

Messi helped Barca in its recent UCL victory over Spartak Moscow on November 20, 2012.

My thanks to the BR readers for their time in reading this slideshow. My best wishes to all of you until the next time.