Manuel Neuer: 'Barcelona will never be weak'
Barcelona are not a weak side just because Lionel Messi is no longer at the club, says Bayern captain Manuel Neuer.
Bayern München captain Manuel Neuer has warned that FC Barcelona are not an easy side to play against despite Lionel Messi's departure to Paris Saint-Germain.
"Barcelona will never be weak," Neuer said ahead of Bayern's Champions League opener with Barcelona tonight.
"The players will all be trying to take on more responsibility now that Messi isn't there anymore. It's obviously an unfamiliar situation for every team that lines up against Barcelona now."
The last time the two teams met was in 2020 when Bayern thrashed the Catalan side 8-2 in a memorable game.
"We'll obviously never forget our game in 2020, but these are two new group stage games and we're looking forward to two big ones," said Neuer.
"It's a cracker to kick things off in the UCL and we're excited to start our journey in this season's competition."