For the 12th year running, Barcelona qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League as group leaders after securing a 2-1 away win at PSV Eindhoven.
The fact that the Spanish giants achieved this with a game to spare in an extremely challenging group renders this achievement all the more impressive.
Gerard Pique was solid at the back and scored Barca’s insurance goal. And the defender commented on how the competition will spring to life in the knockout stages.
“We’ve been doing things well for years because a great generation has been together, so that’s why we’ve achieved so much,” he said after the full-time whistle.
“This group was one of the most difficult that there’s been in recent years and it wasn’t easy to qualify, but we’ve been reliable in almost every match and were again today.
“They created danger for us, but the second half went better. We know how to compete in the Champions League and the good part is coming now, the most difficult part.
“The knockout rounds will be different and you can’t have a bad day.”
The Catalan giants failed to make it past the quarter-finals in each of their last three campaigns and captain Lionel Messi had made a strong statement in the beginning of the season that the team will go to any lengths to secure a sixth Champions League trophy.