Although many expect Shakhtar Donetsk to be outclassed by Barcelona easily, Dani Alves insisted that their Ukranian opponents have what it takes to cause problems for the Catalans.
Dani Alves warned his teammates against any complacency as they get ready to face a spirited Shakhtar Donetsk side tonight. While the odds are all neatly stacked in favor of the Blaugranas, Alves believes there are much more difficult aspects in this tie that could be detrimental to Barca's chances.
"Everybody seems to think that it will be an easy game for Barcelona, but I'm convinced that it will be a difficult match. Shakhtar really know how to play ball and they're very strong in possession," said the Brazilian to Sport.
"It will be a very open tie between two attacking teams. It's important for us to get a good result in the first leg and take a big step toward the semi-finals.
"The tie won't be decided in the first leg though. The match in Ukraine will be decisive and we'll do our utmost to go there with an advantage."
Shakhtar players have recently admitted that they feared the worst when they were drawn against Barcelona. However, Alves prefers to see it from a different perspective by stating that any tie would be a difficult one at this stage of the competition.
He stated: "I think that they probably would have liked to avoid Barcelona. That doesn't count for anything though. At this stage of the tournament, all you can do is make sure you're well prepared and do your utmost to stay in the competition."
"Everybody seems to think that it will be an easy game for Barcelona, but I'm convinced that it will be a difficult match. Shakhtar really know how to play ball and they're very strong in possession," said the Brazilian to Sport.
"It will be a very open tie between two attacking teams. It's important for us to get a good result in the first leg and take a big step toward the semi-finals.
"The tie won't be decided in the first leg though. The match in Ukraine will be decisive and we'll do our utmost to go there with an advantage."
Shakhtar players have recently admitted that they feared the worst when they were drawn against Barcelona. However, Alves prefers to see it from a different perspective by stating that any tie would be a difficult one at this stage of the competition.
He stated: "I think that they probably would have liked to avoid Barcelona. That doesn't count for anything though. At this stage of the tournament, all you can do is make sure you're well prepared and do your utmost to stay in the competition."
