#1 Shift in power

Barcelona, under Pep Guardiola, dominated the world of football. They were absolutely magnificent; they raised hell for the opponents and weaved sweet nectar from paradise for their own fans. They were unstoppable – perhaps the most unstoppable club team in the history of the game.
But we all know the drill – that nothing lasts forever – and it was about time for Barca’s domination to end.
Only a very few clubs could boast such a prolonged period of supremacy like Barcelona did. They won a treble as latest as two years ago, but the time has come for the cycle to change phases.
With Real Madrid going from strength to strength, picking up the best young talents like ripe berries from a garden, it is going to be very hard for the Catalans to usurp Zidane’s men.
Barcelona might as well go on to win the Spanish Super Cup against Real Madrid in a few days’ time, but that won’t change the fact that the Blancos have a superior squad to their eternal rivals.