David Silva believes his Manchester City side have what it takes to eliminate Barcelona from the Champions League.
The sides meet on February 18 at City’s Etihad Stadium with the return leg coming on March 12 at Camp Nou.
“We have a great team and if we are at our best we can go through,” Silva told Onda Cero.
“But we know that against Barca we must be aware of all the players, not just [Lionel] Messi.”
Messi’s form has been the subject of much debate in Spain in recent weeks but Silva sees the discussion as evidence of the country’s need to talk about things, rather than a dip in Messi’s performances.
“In Spain there is debate about everything,” Silva said.
“If you can debate Messi then just imagine…”
Silva added that while Barca have a history of success in the Champions League it’s not the case at City, thereby reducing the pressure on Manuel Pellegrini’s side.
“We have no historical obligation in the Champions League,” Silva insisted.
“For Manchester City, it’s a new competition.”
Pellegrini has been drawn into a row with Jose Mourinho in recent weeks after Mourinho attempted to paint his Chelsea side as underdogs when compared to City, but Silva declined to wade into the fray.
“I don’t want to get involved.
“The players just get on with their jobs, which is to play football, and that’s it.
“The Premier League is very nice. There are four teams fighting for the title and hopefully we’ll win it at the end.”
