Deco warns Barcelona after drawing against Benfica in the UCL Round of 16 | OneFootball

Barcelona found out their rivals for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 stage today on Friday, as they were pitted against the Portuguese side Benfica.

The two teams have already faced off in the League Phase earlier in the season, with the game being one of the more entertaining ones for the neutral fans, as it involved a lot of goals, ending 4-5 in the Blaugrana side’s favor.

The reaction to this draw from the Catalan side has already come, as Mundo Deportivo reports that Deco, who was one of the Barcelona representatives at the draw ceremony along with Bojan Krkic, had a word of warning for his team.

Talking about how dangerous Benfica can be, the Portuguese official said:

Further continuing with his warnings, the Barcelona Sporting Director recalled how there are no favorites in the UCL:

“For me, PSG was one of the favorites last season, but they ended up being eliminated by Borussia Dortmund. In the Champions League, favoritism fades away—there are strong teams everywhere. We have to take it one match at a time.”

Lastly, he admitted that his team was going through a good run, but wanted them to ensure they took full advantage of their form:

“All teams have their ups and downs. Madrid has been doing well for quite some time and is scoring goals. Mbappé is spectacular. All great teams go through streaks, and good moments don’t last forever, but at Barça, we have to make the most of ours.”

There are no doubts about Deco’s words, and form can especially be of little value when playing against some of the best teams in Europe. But hopefully, Hansi Flick will be able to make his team continue to perform as they have up to now in the UCL and get the sixth trophy to Barcelona by the end of the season.