Barça came out of the Coliseum cage full of scratches. Rarely have they chosen a name for a soccer field so accurately. You enter Getafe's stadium as if you were a gladiator, knowing you're going to face real beasts, and if you're not on point, it's very likely to cost you your life. It was precisely what happened to Flick's team; not having their best night again in Madrid cost them dearly in the domestic competition, where Real Madrid is already seven points ahead, a gap that seems insurmountable to me.
Thus, Barça could say farewell to La Liga in the worst possible place, where you know for sure they enjoy your misfortunes. Where Bordalás and his team will use all kinds of tricks to complicate your existence, and where they've been succeeding for several years now. However, the problem isn't the two points that slipped away on Saturday; it's the 16 that had already escaped in the last rounds of 2024. The setbacks against Real Sociedad, Celta, Las Palmas, Betis, Leganés, and Atlético are what make up the disastrous streak that has left you without a chance at the title. You can't go to the Coliseum without room for error because it's not a good place to gamble with your life.
Lamenting doesn't help much. It's time to turn the page and switch back to Champions mode, where FC Barcelona has been unstoppable so far. Flick's team is well on their way to direct qualification for the round of 16, and they need to confirm it against Benfica first and then Atalanta. At Can Barça, they're used to reigning in Europe when they also reign in La Liga, being the best on a continental level only when they're also the best nationally. They lack that Madridist gene that allows them to separate both competitions, being able to finish second or third in the domestic competition and lift the trophy in May.
The multi-million-dollar question: Is Flick's team a favorite to win the Champions League? It's as true that FC Barcelona only knows how to lift that trophy when they do a double with La Liga as it is that this Barça has transformed this season. Capable of counterattacking with majesty, damaging the opponent without needing to do so through endless possessions, living on the edge with risky offside lines. If this team is so far removed from its previous versions, why not think it's really capable of aiming to reign on the continent without reigning in its own League?
We've already mentioned, and it's been evident in the last two months, that this Barça is capable of the best and the worst. When inconsistency appears, it's very difficult for it to disappear in the blink of an eye. That's why, and because Real Madrid will drop few points from here to May, the domestic competition has become impossible. But don't rule out surprises in Europe, because if Flick's team has shown anything, it's that they can play soccer like no one else and defeat and thrash any team, more than enough reasons to consider them in the top continental competition. So, farewell La Liga, but hello Champions.