More than most sports, soccer has a way of exalting its past. Time and pre-HD pictures have a way of making history seem better than it was. Which is why the fact that some are wondering whether Barcelona this year is the greatest club team ever is a testament to what's going on at the Camp Nou.

Domestically, Barcelona has won 18 of 20 Liga games and is on pace to gain 104 points, which would shatter the previous record of 99 it set just last year. At the current rate, Barca will score 122 Liga goals, pulverizing the previous mark of 107, and concede just 21, the second-lowest total for a 38-game season. In the Champions League, it's been smooth sailing as well, with four wins and two draws in the group stage.

But what sets this Barcelona apart from other dominant teams in recent history is the way it plays the game, which is, at once, breathtaking to watch and unlike any other top side in Europe. In a single game, a top team beating up on a weaker opponent might typically control 60% of possession—65%, at most. Barcelona has averaged 73% possession in La Liga and 72% in the Champions League.

It's not that having more of the ball automatically makes a team better: Inter won the Champions League last year despite having just 45% possession throughout the competition. Possession stats matter, however, within the context of what a club is trying to do. And Barca's game revolves around keeping the ball endlessly, which serves three functions. First and foremost, when the opposition doesn't have the ball, it can't score. Second, a lack of possession wears teams down mentally, because there is no time for them to switch off. And last, it plays to Barca's strength: with gifted players, Barca keeps them in a position to hurt the opposition—that is, have the ball at their feet—for a long time.

Barcelona's possession obsession is a way of maximizing the skill set of this squad, filled with creative, undersized players with a keen understanding of passing and movement. It's a sterling example of the old truism: Tactical systems and styles of play should suit the players at your disposal. Put Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola in charge of, say, Manchester United or A.C. Milan and odds are that one of three things would happen: He'd change his philosophy, he'd have to bring in a raft of new players or the team simply wouldn't be very good.