Three reasons why Barcelona can win the Champions League

Sport360 staff 10:18 09/03/2017
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  • What a night: Barcelona celebrate at the Nou Camp.

    Wednesday was a magical night – one of Barcelona’s best in their illustrious history.

    The Catalans destroyed Paris Saint-Germain 6-1 at Camp Nou in one of the greatest comebacks in football, leaving Barca well and truly in the mix to lift yet another Champions League title.

    Here, Sport360 looks at three key reasons why their name can be inscribed on the trophy in June.

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    THE LUIS ENRIQUE FAIRYTALE EFFECT

    The Barcelona boss is bringing the curtain down on his three-year spell at the Nou Camp in the summer and he will only want to leave the Catalan hotseat on a high.

    He won the treble in his first season at the club (2014-15) as well as La Liga last term and Enrique will be desperate to ensure he doesn’t end his final season in charge empty handed.

    Barcelona may be one point clear of arch-rivals Real Madrid at the top of the league table (having played a game more) – and although Blaugrana would dearly love to pip Zinedine Zidane’s men again to that trophy – winning in Europe will be made top priority by Enrique.

    Lifting the Champions League again would be the ultimate high and even though the Barcelona hierarchy demand success in every competition, you get the feeling they’d take a European success over domestic league and cup (Barcelona are in the Copa del Rey final) triumphs.

    With that all said, the treble is still very much on.

    MOMENTUM

    It’s been far from a vintage season for Barcelona but the superb comeback victory over PSG will have given the club’s under-fire stars a much-needed confidence booster for the remainder of the campaign.

    For Barca, it wasn’t just about the win, it was the manner of the success and the fight the Spanish giants showed right up to the dying embers of the match.

    And, importantly for the club’s fanatical fan base, the victory would have given thousands of supporters that winning feeling again.

    LIONEL MESSI

    He was quiet on Wednesday night but he still converted a penalty and the Argentine has generally been in red hot form this season.

    It’s perhaps obvious to include his name here but Messi is top of the Champions League goalscoring charts this season (11 goals,) and he is without doubt the main man to deliver yet another Champions League crown to the Barca trophy room.

    The 29-year-old has always had the hunger – you can’t be as good as he’s been without it – but there’s a sense that he wants to prove to everyone once again he is the best in the world and by winning in Europe the maestro can do just that.

    AND, LET’S NOT FORGET…NEYMAR

    Okay, so this is a fourth footnote, but Neymar was simply sensational against PSG, scoring two and grabbing the crucial late assist for Sergi Roberto.

    We haven’t seen this enough from the Brazilian this season but if he can continue to reproduce this kind of brilliance then he will have a large hand to play in Barca going all the way to the final and winning at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

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