As we reach the business end of the 2019/20 Champions League competition, Barcelona remain one of the last eight ready to do battle in a maximum of three matches under the new format if they want to win the trophy.
The Catalans, unusually, aren’t being considered as favourites to lift the title this season, and indeed, it appears that they aren’t even favourites to beat Bayern Munich in their quarter-final on Friday.
Being seen as underdogs has seemingly irked Barca captain, Lionel Messi, and made him extra motivated to beat the Bavarians according to Sport, cited by the Daily Express.
It was the Argentinian’s master class in the semi-final first leg at Camp Nou in 2015 which effectively saw off Bayern on the way to Barca’s last Champions League triumph.
On that occasion it was a two-legged affair, which of course none of the matches are this time around.
Clearly, Messi’s 2020 Barcelona vintage is some way off of the 2015 squad, but you can never write the Blaugranes off when the little genius is in the mood.