The Spanish midfielder has warned his team-mates there is more to the Catalans than just the Argentine attacker and believes Bayern have a 50 per cent chance of progression
Javi Martinez has stressed Bayern Munich cannot afford to focus solely on Lionel Messi in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie against Barcelona as he argues the Blaugrana have much more to offer.
It is unclear yet whether the Argentina international will feature in Tuesday’s match at the Allianz Arena as he has missed the past few games due to injury, but Martinez insists Barca will pose a stern test either way.
“Messi is the best in the world but Barcelona are not just about Messi. They have quality players all over the pitch,” Javi Martinez said at a press conference.
“I am looking forward to the game. It’s my first Champions League semi-final and the motivation is huge.
“We have to stay loyal to our style. We need to maintain a tight shape and play as a team.
“Everybody is looking forward to the game. I have faced Barcelona a couple of times and often tasted defeat. But now I am at a different club and we will not play for the draw tomorrow. I rate the tie as 50-50.”
Bayer Munich saw off Juventus in the quarter-finals of the competitions, while Barcelona beat Paris Saint-Germain on the away goals rule.