Barcelona defender Gerard Pique says his team may have lost their fear factor ahead of their last-16 Champions League tie against Manchester City.
The Spanish side won the competition in 2009 and 2011 but have failed to make it past the semi-finals since.
The former Manchester United centre back Pique said: “Maybe they don’t fear us as before because in the last two years we didn’t win the Champions League. We can still be the best, but we have to show to the world we can do it”.
Barca’s most recent Champions League successes came under former coach Pep Guardiola, but Tito Vilanova’s side were thumped 7-0 in a two-legged semi-final by eventual winners Bayern Munich last season.
The club, with Gerardo Martino now in charge have had to contend with off the field problems this term, with the transfer of Brazilian forward Neymar under investigation by a Spanish court and Sandro Rosell resigning as club president as a consequence.
Meanwhile, Manuel Pellegrini has guided City to the Champions League knockout stages for the first time, their free-scoring football including a 3-2 win over Bayern at the Allianz Arena.