Messi names his favourites to win Champions League

Lionel Messi has picked out the four “strongest” clubs he thinks will rival Barcelona in the Champions League.

The Catalans play the first leg of their last-16 tie away at Napoli next week, as they look to win the competition for the first time since 2015.

Barca suffered dramatic defeats in the knockout stages in the past two seasons, collapsing to damaging losses against Liverpool in the semi-finals at Anfield last May and Roma in the Italian capital in the last eight in 2018.

The Argentinean is desperate to make up for those losses and add a fifth Champions League winners’ medal to his collection, but thinks that there are a quartet of clubs standing in Barca’s way if they want to lift the trophy again.

“All [the teams] are complicated and difficult,” Messi told a wide-ranging interview with Mundo Deportivo.

“Paris went to play Dortmund and lost, Liverpool went to Atletico’s field and lost, but I think, like that and everything, Liverpool, Juventus, Paris and Madrid are the strongest today.
Messi, though, insists he wasn’t surprised by the result.

“On the day of the draw we talked in the locker room that would be very close because Atletico competes a lot in this competition,” he added.

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“In two-match duels they are very strong and they showed it again, that they will compete and they will be there.”