Barcelona defender Gerard Pique believes his side cannot afford “to leave Manchester United alive” in their tie and admitted “for me, this is a special game.”
The central defender spent four years of his early career at Old Trafford and faces his former club for the first time since the 2011 Champions League final.
“I think the PSG tie is a great example,” Pique told his pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday’s clash in Manchester, as cited by ESPN FC.
“I think [at Old Trafford], PSG played better. In the second half they scored and could have scored more.
“But you can't leave United alive. If you can beat them [by] scoring a lot of goals, you have to do it.
“They have a great history and they showed that in Paris, even with a lot of young lads from the academy. It's a great example for us. We have to be switched on from the first minute until the last.
“Since I played here, they have always been one of England's great teams, obviously, teams have ups and downs and moments of transition but they're the biggest team in England.
“They consider the Premier League the same as the Champions League here – if not more important – and since the Ferguson era they've been the biggest team and will keep on being the biggest team.
“Things aren't [going as well at the moment] but I hope they change and quickly they get back on top.
“I spent several years here, between 17 and 21, my first as a professional. I played in good games alongside great players and also had some crazy times off the pitch. I left my family and friends to come here and I returned to Barcelona an adult. It's a special game for me.”
