Barca are good, but not good enough to win the championship.

La Liga is within reach, but the Champions League remains an unsolved problem under Hansi Flick.

Yamal alone cannot save Barcelona in the Champions League.

Barcelona are very close to winning their second consecutive La Liga title. Their nine-point lead over Real Madrid is enough to put them in control of the race. But when the focus shifts to Europe, the story is entirely different.

Dominating domestically, but running out of steam in Europe.

Under Hansi Flick, Barcelona changed. They played faster, more directly, and with more energy. It was a younger team, a far cry from the lackluster performances seen in Paris, Rome, or Munich in the past. But after all that, the results remained unchanged.

Barcelona have yet to win in the Champions League.

The numbers under Flick are impressive. Over 300 goals in less than two seasons. A domestic treble last season and a continued high level of performance this season. Barcelona are not lacking in strength in La Liga.

They have 79 points and are aiming for the 100-point mark. Consistency is evident. Even though Flick warned about egos in the dressing room earlier in the season, the team quickly overcame that and maintained their pace.

But the Champions League is a different story.

Barca are great domestically, but in the Champions League, it's a different story.

Barcelona lost in big matches. PSG, Chelsea, Atletico, their direct rivals, all knocked them out. The rare exception was their performance against Newcastle, but that was too little to build the image of a title contender.

The problem isn't about a temporary dip in form. It reflects a limitation.

Barcelona may dominate in La Liga matches, where they are accustomed to controlling the ball and dictating the game. But in Europe, where the pace is faster and mistakes are punished more quickly, they lack the composure to control the match.

The defeat at Metropolitano, like the loss in Milan last season, is a deep wound. Not because Barcelona played poorly, but because they weren't good enough to win.

Flick and Yamal's pivotal year

Next season will be Hansi Flick's third year at Barcelona. And that could be the deciding moment.

The German coach still enjoys the club's trust. They've offered him a contract extension until 2028. But Flick isn't the type of coach who likes long-term commitments. He always leaves his future open, depending on his family and personal circumstances.

That makes the 2026/27 season particularly significant.

Barca needs to strengthen its squad for next season.

This isn't just Flick's story. It's also the story of Lamine Yamal, the central figure of the Barcelona project. At 18, Yamal has already had three consecutive seasons shining in the Champions League knockout rounds. From PSG, Benfica to Inter, and now Atletico, he has always left his mark.

But individual brilliance wasn't enough to take the team far.

Yamal left the Champions League with a feeling of incompleteness, similar to what Lionel Messi experienced in his final years at Barcelona. A talented player, but the team's collective effort wasn't enough to translate that into a title.

That's the paradox Barcelona has to resolve.

Flick understood that perfectly. He needed to complete the squad. A top-class center-back to strengthen the defense. A striker to share the workload with Ferran Torres. And, more importantly, a stable environment for Yamal to continue developing.

Yamal is still very young. But his rapid maturation also puts greater pressure on the team. A talent like that can't wait too long.

Barcelona are on the verge of victory. They are good enough to dominate domestically, but not yet complete enough to conquer Europe.

The gap isn't huge. But it's not easy to overcome either.

The Champions League is always the most demanding test. It requires not only form but also perfection in every detail. Barcelona are close to winning, but they are still missing the crucial pieces.

And if they can't solve this problem, they will remain stuck at the very threshold where they are standing.

Barcelona have every right to hold their heads high. A 2-1 victory against Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the 2025/26 Champions League quarter-finals on the morning of April 15th was not enough for Barcelona to advance.

Source: https://znews.vn/barca-hay-nhung-chua-du-de-vo-dich-post1643818.html