Factors other than Messi-Suarez-Neymar that have contributed to Barcelona's success

Rise of Barcelona’s midfield lynchpin Ivan Rakitic

Another to finally be getting the credit he deserves is Ivan Rakitic, a steal at €15m from Sevilla. Something that was missing from Tata Martino’s squad was a midfielder with bite that could also play a bit. The Croatian is a man for all seasons, and one that is equally comfortable putting in a shift in the trenches as he is bursting forward to provide a supplementary attacking presence.

For example, watch his goal against Manchester City again. Track his run. Rakitic starts almost in his own penalty box, and keeps up with play with a lung-bursting 70-yard run. At the conclusion, he still has the presence of mind to set himself before lofting the ball over Joe Hart, to take that particular tie out of reach of the Premier League champions.

Ivan Rakitic has been a shrewd buy by Barcelona

He might not ping passes around in quite the same way that Xavi Hernandez does, but his passing accuracy is still acceptable for this team. And his skill set means that Barca have a different dimension to their play, something that has been needed for a while now.

Many a time the fans of the beautiful game have questioned the need for a tiki-taka style that has no end product. What is the point of pass-pass-pass if it goes nowhere? Rakitic provides that end game. Athletic, deceptively strong and powerful and with an all-round game that is complementary to his contemporaries, Rakitic’s signing is another positive for the club.

Luis Enrique silences his critics

And what of the manager?

Luis Enrique, ex-Blaugrana captain and roundly criticised before the turn of the year as being a pig-headed average manager who had no business being at the helm of this wonderful institution and no clue as to how to manage the biggest egos in the squad. The watershed moment came at the Anoeta Stadium at the beginning of January when the decision to leave Neymar and Messi on the bench provoked widespread criticism.

Since then, less rotations – he had made 29 successive rotations before the game at Real Sociedad – meant more continuity. Yes, MSN gelled like no one could have expected. Even Johan Cruyff had suggested that the three could never play well together. But that’s beside the point here.

Enrique had got Gerard Pique performing back to his very best. He had united a squad that had seemed disjointed before the Christmas break. In short, he had got the entire squad singing to his tune.

Luis Enrique has given Barcelona a Plan B – the counter-attack

And most importantly of all, he had finally come up with the ‘Plan B’ that Barca had been searching for. Even Guardiola hadn’t found the key to the lock in that regard. His teams passed you off of the park, but if a bus was parked Barca couldn’t come up with another solution.

Enrique has got the Catalans playing on the counter. Unheard of before his tenure. This team can change up to whatever style is needed to win games, and that is why it has been so successful to this point.

Just three games separate them from only the second treble ever to have been achieved in Spanish football history. It would be a worthy footnote to this season for a team that has, eventually, surpassed all expectations.