By most measurements, last season was a good one for Barcelona. They started the campaign in turmoil after Paris Saint-Germain's dramatic raid for Neymar Jr. and an ominous 5-1 aggregate drubbing by Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final. New Barca manager Ernesto Valverde managed to steady the ship, though—his team finished the season with a domestic double and missed going undefeated in La Liga by a whisker.
Real Madrid's third consecutive UEFA Champions League triumph took the sheen from their trophy haul, however. Everything in Spain is conditioned by the Clasico rivalry. Los Blancos' dominance in Europe, the greatest theatre in club football, is unbearable for Barcelona fans and highlights their own team's failures on the continent.