Spanish Inquisition: Barcelona - One Down, Two To Go?

Barcelona's 4-1 win over Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday evening brought a predictable end to their barren run without silverware.

Predictable, that is, in that it was an expected result. Athletic are mid-table strugglers while free-scoring Barcelona have not at any time found the back of the net hard to come by this season.

What's more, when they went down 1-0 early on to a Toquero strike it was clearly a minor setback, for within fifteen minutes they were on the ascendancy and able to win at a canter.

Speaking of routine victories, even a draw at the weekend will wrap up what has long since been a foregone conclusion of a Liga race, leaving just one piece of silverware left unclaimed: the Champions League.

But there is every chance that lifting these two domestic trophies will not only raise expectation to an unrealistic level, but even breed complacency among the fans, if not the players themselves.

Let's remember, Barcelona have scored so freely and regularly in domestic competition partially because Spanish teams tend to play an open game. The Blaugrana can hit on the break to superb effect, as they demonstrated last night, while it is unusual to find a manager playing ten men behind the ball in the Liga.

Certainly nobody would accuse Alex Ferguson at Manchester United of doing this, but at the same time, his back four (even with its irregular right-backs) is formidable, and English sides have been shown to frustrate Barca already this year. Just look at Chelsea, against whom a last-second wondergoal was what was needed to progress. At no time domestically has this been the case - in Europe, against the English, it seems to be par for the course.

Barcelona are, to wit, a fairly simple side to frustrate. If one can prevent them from playing their passing game, or discourage speed in their midfield, the task is made ten times easier. United know this - and I reckon that Pep Guardiola does too. How he reminds his players of it as they reflect on having lifted an historic domestic double is up to him.

Ewan Macdonald, Goal.com