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Luis Suarez is confident Barcelona can win the 2019-20 Champions League if they can find their best form in Europe’s top competition.
Quique Setien’s side look destined to miss out the Spanish title to Real Madrid this season, but Suarez told Sport’s Albert Masnou his team do have the quality to be crowned European champions.
“First, we have to get through the last 16 against a tough-rival who are in good form since the lockdown. To think about Lisbon, first we have to beat Napoli.
“We have the capacity to be at the level this club demands if we’re 100 percent. If something doesn’t go well, if we suffer a handicap, maybe we won’t make it, but that’s football.
“For example, against Villarreal we saw a good team. We had players missing but we were at the level required. We dropped a little in the following games. But Villarreal was important because it showed us this team if this team is in form it can produce performances in the Champions League. If we’re at the level of the club, we can manage it. But we have to be at our best.”
Barcelona are in good shape to make it through to the quarter-finals. They drew 1-1 at Napoli in the first leg of their last-16 tie and will play the second leg at the Camp Nou on August 8.
The Catalan giants have an excellent record at home both in La Liga and the Champions League. They have not tasted defeat in the league on their own turf this season, and the last time they were beaten at the Camp Nou in Europe was all the way back in 2013.
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Tough Draw for Barcelona
Yet Napoli will be no pushovers and have been in good form in Serie A since the competition resumed. They are currently sixth in the table and beat champions Juventus to lift the Coppa Italia in June.
If Barca do progress they are expected to face Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals. Hansi Flick’s side are 3-0 up against Chelsea in their tie after the first leg and play the return fixture at their own Allianz Arena stadium.
Yet Suarez knows that if his team are to succeed they will have to beat the best that Europe has to offer.
“I am of the mentality that if you want to win the Champions League, you have to beat the best teams. That’s what happened in 2015, we had to play all the toughest sides. However, in other seasons when we have been eliminated, we drew the weaker teams. And we were not at our best. It’s a nice draw because it pairs us with the best.”
The Champions League is of huge importance to both Bayern and Barcelona. Both clubs have been crowned European champions five times in their history but have tasted disappointment in the competition in recent seasons.
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