Barcelona predictions to look for when this season ends

Barcelona has enjoyed a fine resurgence since Xavi Hernandez came through the door at the club as their manager.

The former midfielder is one of several ex-Spanish players doing well on the bench of one of Europe’s top clubs.

The Catalans are one of the two top clubs in Spain and one of the best in European football, so they are always expected to be in good shape.

Barca has fans worldwide, so it enters every season with a lot of expectations because these supporters want success from their team.

They have a great rival in Real Madrid, and the Madridistas are always happy to take advantage when their rivals struggle.

Some Barca fans will look at the current Madrid squad and the form of their players and worry about it.

This is because their rivals are in a good moment, making it harder for their team to win another league crown.

But Barcelona is a club that must always compete against the best and win in every campaign.

This is why games between them and any opponent are a must-win for the Spanish club.

Supporters who invest in Barcelona tickets every campaign know the team will deliver and delight them for investing in it.

The players know this also, but the competition for the top spot domestically and in Europe means things may only sometimes go to plan, so fans will probably have to manage their expectations very well.

This season has been inconsistent for the Catalans, but there is still a long way to go, and we still tip them to end it well.

However, there are some predictions that we believe their fans need to look out for by the end of the term.

Another Champions League failure

Barcelona always competes in the Champions League, and they are one of the clubs who are often considered favourites to win the trophy.

But the Catalans have not won the competition since 2015, six seasons before Lionel Messi left the club.

The Argentinian was their hero and the reason they won four of their five Champions League crowns.

This stat is the single reason rival fans believe they cannot win the Champions League without the Argentinian in their squad, and we expect them to fail again.

Xavi has some very fine footballers in his squad and has done a remarkable job in ensuring the team returns to its place as one of the strongest clubs on the continent.

However, it is very hard to see Barca doing well in the Champions League this term.

Their team is still very much a work in progress despite boasting the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres, Lamine Yamal, and Andre Ter Stegen.

These players make the team strong and exciting on paper, but we all know Barca is undergoing a massive rebuild, which is why a player like Yamal will come into the team and become their hero.

Unlike last season, when they exited the Champions League at the group stages, we expect them to reach the latter stage of the competition this term, but they will not go close to reaching the final or winning the trophy.

Losing La Liga to Bellingham’s Real Madrid

Barca won La Liga last season, a surprise outcome, but they had clearly been very effective throughout the season and it was easy to tell that it could be their year.

Xavi earned a lot of praise for that achievement, and his team entered this campaign looking to defend the title and probably also win another trophy.

But it will be difficult for them to win La Liga again because of the arrival of Jude Bellingham to the competition.

The Englishman plays for Real Madrid after his big-money move to the Spanish club in the last transfer window and has been sensational.

He is the top-scoring midfielder in the top European leagues this season and has eight goals and two assists from his first eight league games in La Liga.

Madrid failed to replace Karim Benzema in the last transfer window as they wait to sign Kylian Mbappe at the end of this campaign. Still, Bellingham ensures they do not miss the Frenchman who moved to Saudi Arabia in the summer.

Barcelona is already behind Madrid on the league table after nine league matches, and it would be yet another interesting battle for the crown between both clubs.

However, the arrival of Bellingham to Madrid could make the most difference in the title race in this campaign.

This means no matter what Barcelona does, the Englishman could inspire Madrid to win back the crown at the end of this term.

Vitor Roque lighting up Camp Nou from January

Barcelona snapped up one of Brazilian football's best talents when they agreed to sign Vitor Roque.

The youngster is still just 18 but has already earned comparisons to Ronaldo de Lima for his terrific performance for Athletico Paranaese in the Brazilian top flight.

Barca saw off competition from the likes of Arsenal, Juventus and Manchester City to add him to their squad, and the youngster is excited about playing for them.

He is expected to arrive in January, and we tip him to have a fast start to life at the Spanish club.

Roque already has 11 goals from 22 matches for Athletic in the present campaign and will likely score more before their season ends.

At Barcelona, he will compete with Robert Lewandowski for a starting berth, but Xavi loves the youngster and we expect him to hand him many chances to play.

He does not have to start matches to make an impact and Vitor could become an impact substitute at Camp Nou while waiting for his chance to start matches regularly.

Whatever role he is given to play when he moves to Barcelona, Vitor is a player we expect to do well for the Catalans in the second half of this season.

Winning the Copa del Rey

Barcelona were keen on winning the league and cup double last season after being eliminated from European football.

They eventually won the league after Madrid knocked them out of the Copa del Rey.

However, we expect them to find success in the competition this term, and it will be the only competition they can win.

The Catalans do not look strong enough to win the league this year, and we do not expect them to also do so well in the Champions League.

This means they will do their best to win the Spanish Cup and ensure they do not go trophyless in this campaign.

Xavi almost led his team to win the competition last term and we expect them to have learnt from the exit at the hands of Real Madrid.

This will help them to do better in this campaign, and they should win it, even if it will take so much from them to achieve that much success.

This will be a big season for Barcelona as they are expected to keep improving their performances every term.

Winning La Liga in the last campaign means they have set a new standard for themselves and will try to retain that crown, but the Bellingham effect will make it hard to achieve.

But if they go far in the Champions League, finish inside the top four and win the Spanish Cup, it would be a good year.