Antoine Griezmann insists that Barcelona “have all the tools” to win the Champions League this season despite losing their domestic league title.
The Blaugrana have not lifted Europe’s premier club competition since their 2015 success and indeed they have failed to reach the final in any of the last four editions of the tournament.
Despite winning the trophy just once since 2011, the Catalan giants have reached 13 consecutive quarter-finals in the competition and are hopeful of going further than last season’s semi-final defeat against Liverpool.
It represents the last chance for the club to avoid finishing the season trophy less, after losing their La Liga title to Real Madrid and also falling short in both the Copa del Rey and Spanish Supercopa.
Indeed, boss Quique Setien – who was appointed in January – is under pressure and his long-term future at the Camp Nou is said to be in doubt.
“I have my suitcase packed as if we’re staying until the 23rd August and I have even brought my PlayStation,” Griezmann told Barca TV, in quotes carried by Diario Sport.
“Bayern are a powerful team, with a lot of physicality and power, they are used to having the ball, and they will be a very difficult team for us to beat.
“Everyone has a chance of winning the competition now. Bayern are our rivals on Friday, Atletico are dangerous in one-off matches, then there is Pep Guardiola’s City, and PSG.
“We have three games left, the path is difficult, but we have the tools to win the Champions League.”
Griezmann also spoke of the fact that he will be facing a former Atletico Madrid teammate during the game, with Lucas Hernandez – who also left Los Rojiblancos last summer – now on the books of Bayern: “I spoke with him, but just to see if he was okay and because I shared time with him in the Atlético dressing room.”
