The latest iteration of El Clásico saw Barcelona emerge with a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid. Real took an early lead by way of an own goal scored by Ronald Araújo; this goal was very much against the run of play. As was to be expected, the Blaugrana equalized shortly before half-time when Sergi Roberto converted his follow-up chance following Raphinha's blocked shot. Franck Kessié's stoppage-time winning goal would then extend Barça's lead at the top of La Liga to 12 points.
It's difficult to understate just how domestically dominant Barça have been this season. After 26 league matches, the Catalan club have 68 points, winning all but four matches along the way. They have all but clinched the league title for the first time since 2019 and notably, the first time in the post-Lionel Messi era as well. Despite having almost been fired from his head coach position at multiple points during his somewhat tumultuous tenure, Xavi now has this team running like a well-oiled machine. Ever since enduring a difficult October, Barça have arguably been playing at their highest level since their Treble-winning campaign of 2014-15. A domestic double is now not only possible, but likely.
Like several other clubs, Barça spent plenty of money during the off-season transfer window to bring players to Camp Nou. However, unlike some of those other big-spending clubs, Barça's acquisitions have fit seamlessly into the team. Barça spent a total of €158 million during the off-season, acquiring players such as Raphinha, Jules Koundé, Andreas Christensen, and most notably of all, legendary centre-forward Robert Lewandowski. In addition, in a case of "addition by subtraction", they off-loaded Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Chelsea. It soon became evident that while Aubameyang had been at Barça, the club had managed to squeeze the last drops of high-level play out of him; he is now well and truly past it.
Barça have always taken tremendous pride in La Masia, the club's iconic, world-renowned youth academy. The influence of La Masia can be seen throughout this team, in particular through 18-year-old midfield phenom Gavi. The Andalusian already looks like a seasoned veteran and has even drawn comparisons to legendary Barça midfield duo Xavi and Andrés Iniesta. While such comparisons may very well be premature, such is the hype that Gavi has already generated. Of course, La Masia's impact goes beyond Gavi alone. Gavi's fellow La Masia alumni Eric García, Sergi Roberto, Ansu Fati, and club icons Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba have all made significant contributions this season. The presence of such a foundation gives the team a level of continuity and internal structure seldom seen in other elite clubs.
I don't think it would be a stretch to say that at this point, Barça might be the favourites to win next season's Champions League. What's more, given their success this season, they have even put themselves in position to land a marquee signing during the next off-season. Should Barça add such a player to their roster, they will be very difficult to stop as they pursue a sixth Champions League title. In fact, had they not been stunningly knocked out of this season's Champions League in the group stage, Barça would've been among the prime contenders to win it all and finish the season with a Treble for the third time in the club's history.
Perhaps the greatest irony in all of this is the following: when Messi left Barça in 2021, many viewed it as an opportunity for him to add another Champions League triumph at the expense of a club on the decline. Almost two years later, the script has been almost completely flipped. At Paris Saint-Germain, Messi seems further away from a Champions League title than ever before. Barça, on the other hand, could be making room in their trophy cabinet for another one - the one with the huge handles.
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