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I think candidates and favorites are the same thing and maybe there is no difference, so when you say Barcelona are only candidates and not favorites, I think there is something strange. After all, when a team becomes a candidate then yes, at the same time the team also becomes a favorite so yes, candidate and favorite are something that cannot be separated I guess.
Also, Barcelona's decline in performance this season is a fact and not just a hoax so yes, I think Barcelona is not a candidate, and also not a favorite. Because after all, at least we can also consider that last season when Barcelona managed to win the La Liga title but yes, in reality Barcelona still failed in the Champions League and also in the Europa League.
So yes, considering that and this season Barcelona has experienced a decline in performance compared to last season, even though Barcelona has qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League this time. But yes, still, Barcelona doesn't have a good chance of going further, and that is the reality. However, if to beat Napoli, of course Barcelona can still do it and have a good chance of getting to the quarter-finals but it won't be any more than that.
Not surprisingly, Barcelona is only one candidate out of 16 other teams in the last 16 of the Champions League, but they are not the main favorites to win the title. You have to understand it well, but if it is said that the favorite and the candidate are the same then Barcelona is not the main candidate or not the main favorite. Barcelona's decline in performance only occurred in La Liga, while Barcelona improved in the Champions League with its success in qualifying for the round of 16.
This is a fact that must be acknowledged, of course, because in the previous two seasons Barcelona always failed to qualify for the round of 16 and go down to the Europa League. This season is of course different because Barcelona benefited from a relatively easy group and qualified for the round of 16.