Despite an iron grip on domestic trophies, Barcelona have been haunted by their recent failures in the Champions League and there are concerning signs for the Catalans as they prepare for Tuesday's last-16 first leg away to Olympique Lyonnais.
Ernesto Valverde's side fly to France after an uninspiring 1-0 win at home to struggling Real Valladolid on Saturday which consolidated their lead at the top of La Liga but left plenty of doubts about their capabilities of winning Europe's top prize.
The drab victory over Valladolid, in which Lionel Messi scored a penalty and missed one, followed a goalless stalemate at Athletic Bilbao, a 2-2 draw with Valencia and a 1-1 draw with Real Madrid in a Copa del Rey semi-final first leg.
Barca have fallen at the quarter-final stage of the Champions League each year since last winning it in 2015, suffering a particularly humiliating elimination to AS Roma last season after taking a 4-1 lead in the first leg of the tie.
They have looked on enviously as Real Madrid have won the last three editions of the big eared trophy, swelling their total number of European Cups to 13, which makes Barca's five look measly by comparison.
Despite winning three of the last four La Liga titles and collecting the Copa del Rey four years in a row, there is a widespread feeling that Barca should have fared better on the continent, especially while Messi has been at his peak.
The Argentine seems to think so too - in his first speech as captain back in August, he pledged to do "everything possible to bring that beautiful trophy back to Camp Nou".
For that ambition to be realised, Barca must improve on a dismal away record which has seen them win only one of their last six visits in the Champions League knockout rounds, scoring three goals while conceding 13.
Barca will be boosted by the return of France's World Cup winning defender Samuel Umtiti after nearly three months out with a knee problem, while defender Thomas Vermaelen and Arthur Melo are injured.
The game could go a long way to deciding Lyon coach Bruno Genesio's chances of keeping his job.
Although Genesio guided Lyon to the last 16 without losing a group game, long-serving club president Jean-Michel Aulas has yet to say whether Genesio will stay on next season.
Genesio will have to find a way to beat Barca without Nabil Fekir, the main provider and scorer in Lyon's attack, who is suspended.
With Fekir absent, Netherlands forward Memphis Depay has the chance to put in the kind of performance to help him fulfill his wish of joining a bigger club next season.