Are Barcelona Truly 'Unplayable'?

[Goofy™]

Subhankar Mondal asks if free-scoring Barcelona are entering a new period of dominance that will see them rendered unbeatable to all but the greatest sides...

If in the 2006-2007 season FC Barcelona were suffering from a mild headache, then at the end of the 2007-2008 season they had sank into depression. It was time to give themselves a shake. Steeped in institutional crisis, the Catalan giants had their coach sacked, got rid of their best player over the previous five years and had a new coach drafted into the unit from the B team.

But like a teenager unable to shake off the night’s hangover, Barcelona failed to start the proverbial new era with a bang. In their first match of the 2008-2009 campaign, the Blaugrana went down 1-0 away at newly promoted and relegation candidates Numancia. Then in their first home match of the season, they were held to a 1-1 draw by Racing Santander.

But since then there has been a turnaround - and what a turnaround! Barca have gone on to win 9 successive matches in all competitions, have scored 33 goals - 23 in the league - and have steadily regained their usual selves. In Catalunya in general and Barcelona in particular, they have an obsession with good and attacking football and under Guardiola in the past five or so weeks, the Blaugrana faithful have been gifted exactly that - and with results to boot.

On Wednesday, they had gone to Switzerland and wrapped up the victory over FC Basel inside 22 minutes, exhibiting glorious football in the first half against the clueless Swiss champions. The weekend brought a repeat.

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