The mission for Xavi’s men in the upcoming season is twofold.
The first objective is concrete. Make it two in a row in La Liga. In order to do that, the team will need depth in order to put in consistent performances, and outlast their main rival in Real Madrid.
As the reigning champions, Barcelona theoretically already have everything they need in order to repeat. Instead, big question marks surround Real Madrid, who can no longer rely on their aging superstars.
The second metric of success is more murky. You can’t just say Barca needs to go out and win the Champions League given the magnitude of the challenge, although frankly that is exactly what we should be saying given that it’s an expectation that’s built into the fabric of Real Madrid as a club.