Their summer spending spree was validated by La Liga and their new signings, including Robert Lewandowski, hit the ground running. The overhaul sent them back to the top of La Liga for the first time since June 2020, and the "Xavineta" (Xavi truck, as his project is fondly known in Catalonia) picked up new passengers in droves, with Camp Nou attendances booming once more. But the thorn in their side, their Champions League failure over the past seven campaigns, remains. And after last year's humiliating group stage exit, Tuesday's 1-0 defeat by Inter Milan puts Barcelona in a precarious position.