On a week when millions will be won and lost on the finely balanced fortunes of the competitors on the Cheltenham turf, a time when accuracy of sporting predictions is valued more than ever, many made the tentative prediction – not many would come out and say it openly – that we were watching the decline of a footballing giant. Last night, with one of their most convincing performances of the past year, Barcelona dismantled Milan and any foundations for discussion of their imminent demise.

A 4-0 battering of an in form Milan side will go a long way to ease stress at the Camp Nou. Tension and doubt had appeared to be creeping in to the Barcelona team as a run of – by their standards - unconvincing league form coincided two defeats to Real Madrid in the Cope del Rey, along with a deserved 2-0 defeat in Milan in the first leg of this tie. Barcelona had looked tired and distinctly ordinary over the past month, a pale imitation of their best and a team who appeared to have fallen while facing the first major period of strain since the departure of their coach, Tito Vilanova, to New York for cancer treatment. There was no leadership, no drive, no energy. Passes were going astray, the defence was leaking and Leo Messi was appearing quite human as defenders negated his influence on games. (Perhaps to provide perspective on how “poor” his form has been - he did break the world record for scoring in consecutive league games, during the last month.)

And so, the prologues to the obituaries were tentatively penned. None of us were foolish enough to declare it as an inevitable, the first signs of the passing of time that eventually does to the great sides what none of their competitors on the field could do. However, it was an issue raised again and again in the last few weeks. In the opening moments of ITV’s coverage last night we were asked if this was “the beginning of the end?”

One win, at home, against a side currently third in Serie A, is not sufficient to purge all doubt. Doubts remain about the defensive strength of the side and, obviously, the permanency of this new level of performance. However, last night’s win is enough to give us reason to second guess ourselves the next time we imagine we can see the finish line approaching.

It could all have been very different of course, with the tie a far more balanced affair than a 4-0 score line suggests. Moments before Barcelona’s second goal, Milan forward M’Baye Niang was one on one with Victor Valdes in the game’s pivotal moment. Niang’s shot beat the keeper but cracked off the base of the far post. Within moments Barcelona had added a second goal and headed for the dressing room at half time with the tie firmly in their hands.

Similarly, a stretching tackle from Jordi Alba in the dying moments of the game denied Robinho an almost certain goal from six yards out. Within minutes of his defensive intervention, and then deep into stoppage time, Alba had galloped the length of the field to slip in the final, critical fourth goal and put the tie beyond doubt. Had Robinho reached the ball before his Spanish pursuer in the initial goalmouth incident the tie would have gone to Milan on away goals. And then the pens would have been out.

If Barcelona’s mental state had, as we suspect, been fragile over the past month, then a last minute away goals defeat – in a game they dominated for roughly 88 minutes - to finish their season might have had more cause to be taken as a serious acceleration of any eventual decline.

As it is, Barcelona head into the quarter final with a morale boosting win and a freshly validated exemption from doubt from the would-be obituary scribes. More importantly, though, they go into the quarter final with a performance of real determination, leadership and clarity of purpose under their belts – something that had been lacking in Vilanova’s absence.

Graham Hunter, Newstalk European football correspondent, was on the Newstalk Breakfast this morning to talk to Oisín Langan about the game, and what sort of ramifications it will have for Barca’s season.

Hunter said “in recent weeks they’ve lacked an outright leader” but last night, “for once the players did have a leadership factor, they absolutely did.

“That’s been the reason they got into a mess in the two clasicos."

Oisín asked Graham about how far we can expect this new found good form to carry, or if we should be wary it’s just a blip?

Hunter thinks the side are still sore from last year’s semi-final defeat to Chelsea, mentioning that Leo Messi had been crying in the dressing room following the shock loss at the Camp Nou last year. He thinks the squad are determined to regain the trophy they relinquished last season and last night’s win could see them back on track to do so.

“I think they’re victory junkies. They were desperate not to lose the Champions League…If they’re back for the season they’ll win (the Champions League final) at Wembley.”

Listen to Graham's full conversation with Newstalk Breakfast via the player below