#2 Learning from past mistakes
Barcelona may have come so close to winning the UCL in recent times but they have not been able to keep themselves going till the very end. The Spanish giants have shown heaps of consistency in the league but are struggling to replicate those displays in the UCL.
The Catalans look out of gas by the time they reach the ultimate stages of the season, which is a big cause of concern for them. The reasons for that include lack of experimentation or rotation, insufficient squad depth, inefficient individual management and abysmal away form.
Valverde has consolidated his formation into a 4-3-3 and doesn't seem keen on experimenting with that. However, he has been learning from the past and rotating his squad to keep his players fit, motivated and charged for the ultimate stages.
Valverde has even strengthened positions where Barca were outplayed last season. Antoine Griezmann is the ideal long-term replacement for Suarez, and is already showing what he's capable of.
Frenkie de Jong has replaced Phillipe Coutinho with ease and is playing with fluidity. Nelson Semedo is their first choice RB ahead of a makeshift Sergi Roberto, who in turn is providing versatility in mid. Meanwhile younger players like Fati and Perez have instilled new energy into the squad.
Also, the team's away form has been improving after dropping points against Granada and Athletic Bilbao early on in the league. The team is growing into the season and so is the players' confidence.