The FC Barcelona He has already chained six editions of the Champions League, saying goodbye to the competition with strong results and showing surprising vulnerability, especially at home, although in the last two seasons the weakness has also occurred at home. The lack of competitiveness against the big clubs in Europe has been alarming and growing in this period of debacles that ranges from a successful coach for the treble as Luis Enrique until the newcomer Xavi Hernandez, going by Ernesto Valverde, Quique Setién and Ronald Koeman.
The Barça of Luis Enrique won the 2014-15 Champions League defeating Juventus 3-1 in the final with Ter Stegen, Piqué, Alba and Busquets in the starting team as representatives of the current squad. The four, together with Sergi Roberto, who stayed on the bench in Berlin, will then be the connecting link in subsequent eliminations, although only the German goalkeeper and the veteran Catalan central defender will always be on the pitch.
(+) The film of the last Bayern – Barça
Bayern Munich defeated FC Barcelona 3-0 which, together with the positive result of Benfica, which beat Dinamo Kiev, leaves Barça in third place in the group, condemning them to play in the Europa League from now on
Champions League 2015-16
The Barça team, already in the 2015-16 season, gave clues of what was to come when they were eliminated by Atlético de Madrid in the second leg of the quarterfinals after the 2-1 of the first leg at the Camp Nou), although with a result that was not yet embarrassing (2-0, both of Griezmann). Ter Stegen, Piqué, Alba and Busquets were headlines and Sergi Roberto came in at 64 ‘for Dani Alves.
Champions League 2016-17
Although it was later overshadowed by the unforgettable comeback of the second leg (6-1), in the first leg of the round of 16 of 2016-17 came the first big slap of this depressing era: 4-0 in the Parc des Princes against PSG with the aforementioned Ter Stegen, Sergi Roberto, Piqué, Alba and Busquets playing from the beginning, to which he has already joined Umtiti of the current ones.
But in the quarterfinals there was no comeback at the Camp Nou (0-0) after another painful result in the first leg: 3-0 in Turin against Juventus with Ter Stegen, Sergi Roberto, Piqué and Umtiti. They lost it that day the sanctioned Busquets and an Alba alternate in conflict with Luis Enrique. That game prevents the midfielder and the left-handed winger from having been on the field in all the debacles.
Champions League 2017-18
Ernesto Valverde arrived to reconquer the League, but without being able to change the poor European dynamics. The quarter-finals were already celebrating the move to the semifinals after the 4-1 first leg at the Camp Nou against Roma, but the tough and unexpected 3-0 at the Olímpico was a ‘stick’. Ter Stegen, Piqué, Umtiti, Alba, Sergi Roberto and Busquets they played with Dembele already entering from the bench.
Champions League 2018-19
And that was nothing compared to the blushing KO in the 2018-19 semi-final, still with Valverde. After 3-0 at the Camp Nou and everyone making plans for the final, Liverpool came back 4-0 in the return leg at Anfield. Of the current ones they were in the eleven Ter Stegen, Sergi Roberto, Piqué, Lenglet, Alba, Busquets and Coutinho.
Champions League 2019-20
In the 2019-20 edition, marked by the pandemic and by the quarter-finals and semifinals to a single match in Portugal, there was humiliation with capital letters: 2-8 in 90 ‘against Bayern with Quique Setien on the bench and Ter Stegen, Piqué, Lenglet, Alba, Sergi Roberto, Busquets and Frenkie de Jong on the grass.
Champions League 2020-21
In the last edition, already with Ronald KoemanThe 0-3 against Juventus on the last day of the group stage hurt because it sent Barça to second place and forced a pulse against the fearsome PSG in the round of 16. Pique, due to injury, and Busquets, reserved, they did not play against the Italians, but they did Ter Stegen, sole survivor in this series of dramatic results, and Alba, Lenglet O The young. And in the round of 16 there was a repeat hit in the first leg against PSG (1-4) with Ter Stegen, Dest, Piqé, Lenglet, Alba, De Jong, Busquets, Pedri and Dembélé start and Riqui, Braithwaite and Mingueza entering from the bench, always talking about the current ones.
Champions League 2021-22
And the most recent, the double 3-0 conceded against Bayern, without forgetting Lisbon’s 3-0 against Benfica. In all three, with Ter Stegen, Piqué and Busquets, but without Alba due to injury in Portuguese lands. Sergi Roberto, one of the 2015 champions, has missed several of those horrors in the past two years through injury.
Read also