Breaking Down the Changes Barcelona Need to Make to Win Back Champions League
If things go as expected, by the end of May Barcelona, will be champions of La Liga—again—and Copa del Rey winners—again.
One trophy they won't be winning again is the UEFA Champions League, having been knocked out in the quarter-finals by Atletico Madrid.
However, if they pick up two-thirds of the treble they won last season, there will be no need to panic. That said, they could make a few changes to help them next season as they bid to win Europe's premier competition once again.
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The main issues relate to squad depth and options from the bench. Barcelona were knocked out by Atletico at the Vicente Calderon in early April after winning the first leg 2-1 at home.
In the second leg, Atletico took the lead in the first half through Antoine Griezmann, maintaining their advantage until late in the game, when the Frenchman added a second from the penalty spot.
Diego Simeone's brilliant defensive system nullified Barcelona's attacking threat, with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar unable to break through in the Spanish capital.
None of the three played well, but another factor was they had all been out of form since coming back from international duty in South America.
Barcelona have no suitable replacements, in Luis Enrique's eyes, with the coach seemingly unwilling to use young attacker Munir El Haddadi in big matches.
Luis Enrique wanted to sign Celta Vigo's Nolito in the January transfer window, per Sport, but he didn't get his wish.
A back-up the coach can rely upon is going to be key if Barcelona want to regain the Champions League.
He was fortunate in 2014-15 that his star forwards stayed fit during the business end of the season, but they had grown tired when this year's big games rolled around.
With Nolito, they could have been rotated. Or could they?
Another issue is the desire of all three hitmen to play as many minutes as possible. We saw last season what happens when they get taken off or benched, with notable moments of disgruntlement from Messi and Neymar in the games against Deportivo La Coruna and Sevilla respectively.
Sport showed back in February, despite injuries and illnesses, the trident played more minutes (8,093) than any other top forward line in Europe.
Luis Enrique needs to convince his strikers they need to rest, just as Andres Iniesta's minutes have been managed well this season, WhoScored.com detailing the 31-year-old has averaged around 80 minutes per game from his 25 appearances in La Liga this season.
Both full-back slots also need to be looked at. Dani Alves is past his best, although he is still capable of putting in a great display now and then. On the left, Jordi Alba is too frequently exposed.
Barcelona could do with a centre-back to challenge Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano's partnership too.
They essentially need a deeper squad not padded out with dross for the sake of it, so that when the crucial clashes start arriving, the first team is fresh.
Other than that, there’s not a lot more they have to change. There are deals to tie up, such as renewing Neymar and Sergio Busquets’ contracts, but the only other factor they need in their favour is luck.
They will have fewer games next year, not going to Japan for the FIFA Club World Cup or playing in the UEFA Super Cup, meaning less travel and a better pre-season.
Last year, they went on a tour of the United States. This year, they are going to stay in Europe, perhaps to counteract the effects of UEFA Euro 2016 and the Copa America Centenario on their players.
They need better luck with injuries—if Rafinha had been fit, he would have featured a fair amount—and must hope Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal can finish adapting.
Barcelona will also hope they get better luck with the draw. Along with Bayern Munich, Juventus and Atletico, only one of those teams could progress to the final.
On the other hand, Real Madrid were more fortunate to be facing Wolfsburg and Manchester City. It’s the luck of the draw, and Barcelona have their fingers crossed that next time, it falls on their side.
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