JAKARTA - Barcelona advanced to the last eight of the Champions League after beating Napoli at the weekend. Quique Setien's men head to Lisbon with dreams of claiming their sixth European crown.
Bayern Munich will not be an easy opponent in the quarter-finals, neither will - if Barca win over FC Hollywood - Manchester City or Lyon in the semifinals. But the Catalans are trying to get over their tough struggles in La Liga and head to Portugal after reaching their 13th straight quarter-final.
Regardless of the problems that plague them, Barcelona have reason to dream of winning their sixth Champions League trophy. What are they?
Lionel MessiA little from Messi means a lot for Barcelona. And the Argentine is in the best form possible to lead Los Blaugarana to their only trophy this season.
He lit Barca's spirits for half an hour against Napoli and, just like that, the game was over.
La Pulga has also shown Bayern before in 2009 and 2015 that he is unstoppable when he is at his best. However, the captain of this team also experienced suffering against Bayern in 2013.
More effective🍿 Every single one of Leo # Messi's goals 🆚 German teams. pic.twitter.com/3dbSY4mmP3
- FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 12, 2020
Sergio Busquets and Arturo Vidal will return to complete Barcelona's squad after missing the second leg of the last 16 due to suspension.
Their comeback gives Setien more options, which means he can make more changes and keep his players fresh.
Meanwhile, players like Antoine Griezmann, Sergi Roberto and Ivan Rakitic are likely to be rotated.
Frenkie de Jong is backThe Dutchman returned to his best against Napoli, completing 93 per cent of his passes in the midfield at the home of the Italian club. He let his team breathe and broke the defensive line with his pass.
Barcelona wouldn't miss Arthur Melo if De Jong could stay at this level.
The new format of the Champions LeaguePlaying every game with one leg is suitable for Barcelona.
Two-legged matches will make their shortcomings easier to expose, but in a one-off match their chances increase.
"There is no favorite with this format," said Sergi Roberto.
Their defense shaftMarc-Andre ter Stegen, Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet are very important to Setien's team.
Ter Stegen wants to prove himself, Pique has been one of Barca's most consistent players this season and Lenglet continues to improve.
Barcelona's defense has been much better since the lockdown and they hope that continues into the final stages of the Champions League.
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