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Luis Suarez thinks Barcelona have a “50:50” chance of beating Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
The Uruguay international spoke to Movistar after scoring in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Napoli that propelled the Catalan giants into the last eight of Europe’s top tournament.
Quique Setien’s side on go on to face Bayern on Friday in Lisbon, and Suarez is expecting a tough test against the Bundesliga champions.
“Bayern? Anyone has a chance in a one-off game. It’s 50-50. They’re a great side, one of the favourites (for the Champions League), along with everyone going to the final eight in Lisbon. But it’s 11 vs. 11 for 90 minutes…”
Hansi Flick’s side cruised into the quarter-finals with a 7-1 aggregate win over Premier League side Chelsea. Bayern also made light work of the group stages, winning all six games to top Group B with maximum points.
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Suarez Pleased With Napoli Display
Suarez was also pleased with Barcelona’s display against Napoli, as the hosts ran out 4-2 aggregate winners. The Uruguayan netted Barca’s third of the night from the penalty spot and said the result was all that mattered for his team.
“It’s what we wanted. Since La Liga finished three weeks ago we have been preparing for this game knowing the problems Napoli caused us in the first leg. The important thing was to get through and now think about the next round.
“Napoli are a side that create a lot of chances in their league. We knew they would get opportunities. We had a scare early on but they didn’t take the chance and then we scored. We had to think about getting through in the second half. We knew they were going to press high, leaving very little space. We’re satisfied with the way we played in the first half.”
The 33-year-old’s goal was his 20th for Barcelona in all competitions in what has been an injury-hit campaign. He underwent knee surgery in January but made his return to action in June.
Setien Expecting Tough Test
Manager Setien also spoke about the prospect of facing Bayern and knows his team will be up against top-class opposition on Friday for a place in the last four.
“All of the opponents are strong and all of the games will be difficult. It will be difficult for us and for them. They’re a great team, but we are too.”
“The team has been good and we deserved the victory. We have overcome the opening minutes and in the second half Napoli didn’t create much danger.
“The truth is that Napoli are one of the best Italian teams. We knew how to react to their start and then we had a good first half. They have had more prominence during the second half.”
Saturday’s win over Napoli will ease some of the growing pressure on the Barcelona manager. The 61-year-old has come in for scrutiny after missing out on the league title this season.
Barcelona’s first-half performance will have pleased fans, with the team racing into a 3-0 lead, but the team continue to look vulnerable and once again failed to keep a clean sheet.
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