Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva has warned his teammates that Barcelona are always capable of doing the unexpected as they prepare for Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final tie.
Barça have went through an uncertain period recently, in the absence of Tito Vilanova, and have been subject to a lot of criticism.
However, the Spanish giants still hold a 13-point lead at the summit of La Liga and are favourites to reach the final four of the European competition, and Silva is wary of the threats they pose.
He told FIFA.com: “Barca are so versatile they’re capable of doing something completely unexpected, which can end up making you look silly.
“They’ve got the best team in the world, the best player, and several others who help him out with their passing and movement.
“In any case, we’re going to focus on the first leg, try and get a great result at home and then try and clinch qualification at Camp Nou."
Silva went on to speak of his respect for the Catalan giants but revealed he is hopeful of springing a surprise and eliminating the Blaugrana.
He added: “Barcelona are always favourites, whatever team they’re playing against. And they deserve to be too, thanks to their recent track record and the incredibly high standards they hit. But I always say that this [favourites’ status] is an off-the-pitch thing. On it, we’ve got the chance to turn that on its head. They’ll be two tough games between two great teams.
“They’ll be aiming for the title, just as we are, so we’ll be trying to stop them. We’ve maybe got a little less experience than they do, but we’ve got a quality squad packed with players used to decisive matches."
Source: FIFA.com
