The hardest team goal to achieve in sports is to repeat a championship season.  Sometimes the defending champion is so good that it may feel that they can perform on "Cruise Control" and still lift the trophy.  After beginning the 09-10 La Liga season unbeaten in the first 21 matches, Barça was on "Cruise Control."  They were not lazy but the fire from last season was not burning as hot.  It looked like it was too easy for the Blaugrana.

Barça is still the best team in Spain and will still win La Liga, Real moving into 1st place with Barça will give Barcelona the necessary push it needs to finish the season with a La Liga title.  This 1st half of the season,  Barça was gliding as they went unbeaten in La Liga and advanced to the knockout stage of the Champions League.  It looked almost effortless the way they were playing but something seemed to be missing.

The 2-1 Valentine's Day road loss to Atlético Madrid and today's 2-2 draw on the road against Almeria along with Real Madrid's 3-2 comeback win against Sevilla at the Bernabeu has seen Los Merengues move into a tie a top the La Liga table with Barça and now the fight for La Liga supremacy is on.  Its a battle that will re-ignite Barça's fire.

A team or person chasing history can benefit greatly by having an adversary pushing them, challenging them, and giving them the motivation to continue to work hard to stay on top.  Mark McGwire had Sammy Sosa in 1998 when they chased baseball's single-season home run record.  Affirmed had Alydar pushing him stride for stride, inch by inch in every race of the 1978 Triple Crown and now Barça has its jealous, wannabe Triplete, eternal rival breathing down its necks and that's exactly what Barcelona needs.