Champions League LIVE: Barcelona vs. Leverkusen

Champions League Barcelona vs. Bayer Leverkusen BayArena, Germany 2:45 P.M. EST

Ask any casual soccer fan to name the best club in the world and few -- provided this conversation is taking place outside of Madrid -- will hesitate to respond, "Barcelona."

Led by the world's most captivating and relentless talent, Lionel Messi, the Catalan titans of La Liga have dominated domestic and international competitions seemingly for years. So, why does this opening match against Bayer Leverkusen in the Round of 16 in the Champions League matter so much?

For starters, Barca find themselves 10 points adrift of Real Madrid in La Liga and in very real danger of losing their grasp on the domestic title. Barring a collapse by Los Blancos in Spain, Barcelona will need to win the Champions League to retain its reputation as the world's best club.

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On Tuesday, Pep Guardiola's team will face a soggy pitch and stalwart Bayer Leverkusen intent on putting the clamps on the intricate interplay that is Barcelona's signature. Can they do it? Will former Germany captain Michael Ballack rise to the occasion with all the world watching?

UPDATE: Barcelona, Lyon both open Knockout Phase with wins.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.