Barcelona has become the pre-eminent club team in soccer in recent years but now stands on the brink of being ousted from Europe’s annual Champions League without even making it to the quarterfinals. It trails A.C. Milan by two goals as it prepares for the second leg of their matchup, on Tuesday, before a stadium full of Barcelona fans who cannot quite believe their mighty team is in such a hole. Can they escape? Are they not as good as they used to be? Four of The New York Times’s soccer writers weigh in with their thoughts.

Like hungry children let loose at a buffet, Barcelona fans can often be guilty of overindulging. This is not altogether their fault, of course; the team is loaded with stars, and any struggles can often be assuaged by the promise of what tasty morsel might show up next.

Take Tuesday, for example. If Barcelona is unable to come back from its two-goal Champions League deficit against A.C. Milan, it would be disastrous, calamitous, catastrophic and all the other doom-and-gloom adjectives that come with being perhaps the world’s most celebrated team. But then, after a mourning period of a few minutes, attention would quickly shift to what might be needed to put Barcelona over the top in next year’s tournament — and specifically whether the Brazilian star Neymar is that needed piece.

Neymar is the prize. Despite his telling a number of news media outlets, including The New York Times, that he will probably remain with Santos in Brazil until 2014, speculation has increased recently that a move may be more imminent. Neymar’s coach has suggested Neymar will eventually land at Barcelona. A Brazilian legend, Roberto Carlos, has said he has spoken to Neymar and such a move is “90 percent” certain to happen. And the Barcelona defender Dani Alves has been lobbying Neymar for months, telling FIFA.com that “I’ve been begging him to come to Barcelona for a long time, ever since the rumors of a move to Europe started.”