Barcelona's 10 Most Memorable Moments of 2012

The year 2012 has been a great one for Barcelona in many ways. It has also been one of heartbreak and frustration for fans.

However, the frustration from the end of the 2011-12 campaign looks to be a thing of the past as the club has surged back to life and to the top of the Spanish La Liga so far in the opening of the 2012-13 season.

Pep Guardiola's fingerprints remain largely on the clubs success, while any manager in the world would be proud of the achievements of a certain individual who looks destined to be the greatest the game has ever seen.

Let's take a look back at 10 of the most memorable moments of Barcelona's 2012 calendar year.

Knocking Real Madrid out of the 2011-12 Copa Del Rey

Barcelona may not have been as high up the table last season as they are this year, but they managed to pull one over on their bitter rivals Real Madrid in the 2011-12 quarterfinals of the Copa Del Rey.

Across the two-legged tie, Barca managed to pull off a great victory.

Cristiano Ronaldo gave Madrid the lead in the opening tie at the Bernabeu but two goals from Barcelona's defenders in Carles Puyol and Eric Abidal saw the visitors steal a victory in hostile territory.

The return leg at the Nou Camp was once again a touch challenge, and despite Real Madrid managing a late flurry of goals from Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, they could only draw level with their hosts and were sent back to the capital without a chance for a domestic double.

Demolition of Bayer Leverkusen

Barcelona stamped their seal of intent on a hopeful Champions League repeat when they demolished German club Bayer Leverkusen with an aggregate 10-2.

Their second victory at the Nou Camp was a 7-1 destruction that saw Lionel Messi score five goals and young rising star Cristian Tello secure a brace of his own in the process.

7-Goal Stunner

Barcelona reached the seven-goal summit twice during 2012: the first time against Bayer Leverkusen, the second against Rayo Vallecano.

Pedro Rodriguez and Lionel Messi each scored a brace, while the other goals were added by Alexis Sanchez, Thiago and Seydou Keita.

The victory was also important, as the club was bouncing back from its heartbreaking loss to Chelsea at home that denied their return to the UEFA Champions League final.

For the Love of Guardiola

One of the club's best and worst moments rolled into one was the tearful retirement of Pep Guardiola from the club.

He had been a legend, both as a player and a manager, and already was the most silverware-laden manager in the club's history before the slides to come.

Out in Style

Barcelona fans and football enthusiasts alike will never forget Pep Guardiola being lifted onto the shoulders of his players in the club's final home match of the 2011-12 campaign against local rivals Espanyol.

Simply the Best

Before his tenure was complete, Barcelona's players awarded their beloved, soon-to-be-former manager Pep Guardiola with a priceless gift of his 14th career trophy when they defeated Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in the Copa del Rey final on May 26, 2012.

Defeat at Celtic Park

While there are mostly great moments in the club's memory this campaign, one frustrating event that will keep at the forefront of the mind of many for years to come will be the Blaugrana's defeat at Celtic Park on November 7, 2012 in the UEFA Champions League.

In a match that saw the Spanish side dominate possession with 84 percent of the game's ball control and having 25 attempts at goal, the club failed to take advantage of their success and lost 2-1 completely against the run of play.

The tears of legendary pop icon Rod Stewart will also not be forgotten.

Undefeated First Half in La Liga

Aside from their final contest of the first half of the 2012 campaign against Real Valladolid (to be played on December 22, 2012), Barcelona have yet to be defeated in the La Liga this season.

It proves that the foundation laid by Guardiola over the past half decade is still in full swing and serving the club well.

Table Toppers on the Hunt for Glory

Barcelona head out of the current campaign at the top of the Spanish table, whether or not they fail to keep their unbeaten run alive in their last league fixture of the season.

Additionally they are also just 90 minutes away from the Copa del Rey quarterfinals if they finish off Cordoba, whom they already hold a 2-0 aggregate lead over from the first leg earlier in December.

The Greatest Ever?

There can be no greater moment for the club than watching star forward Lionel Messi continue to put his stamp on greatness.

The little Argentine broke the 40-year-old record for goals in a single calendar year, previously held by legendary German striker Gerd Muller, early in December and has continued to raise the record from its original 85 up to 90 at the moment.

There is still time for it to get even higher by the end of the year, but there is no doubting that the 25-year-old is destined to be so much more before the end of his career.