The centre-back congratulated former coach Pep Guardiola on dispatching Porto in the last eight of the Champions League but says every game from this point is a challenge
Gerard Pique has warned Bayern Munich that Barcelona are not afraid to be drawn against them in the Champions League semi-finals.
The Catalans reached the last four on Tuesday by wrapping up a 5-1 aggregate victory over Paris Saint-Germain, while Bayern came back from a 3-1 deficit to smash Porto 7-4 over two legs.
The last time Barca faced Bayern was in 2012-13 when they were humiliated at the semi-final stage of the competition as Jupp Heynckes’ team romped to a 7-0 aggregate triumph.
With former Camp Nou coach Pep Guardiola now at the helm in Munich, a reunion in the last four would pit two of the clear pre-tournament favourites together, but Pique says any opponent from here on in represent a challenge.
“I don’t think that we need to avoid Bayern in the Champions League semi-finals,” the centre-back told ITV Sport. “We are playing in the Champions League semi-finals and everything will be difficult.
“When you’re in the semi-finals of the Champions League you need to be really good and need a little bit of luck. Congratulations to Pep, though, Bayern must have played a good game. It is definitely a good score to win 6-1.”
Pique lauded the attacking trident of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez but insists that Barca’s excellent form should not allow them to ease off – especially as Real Madrid are just two points behind in La Liga.
“I think we are getting better and better,” the former Manchester United man added. “We are playing good football. Up front we have three players who are really, really good.
“When one of them doesn’t score, one of the other two does. We know that if we defend well then we will score goals. We are playing at a good level and we have to keep playing like this.
“We will see what we can achieve this season, we will have to focus and concentrate. Espanyol will be really difficult as it’s the Catalunya derby game.
“We know that, if we don’t win, Madrid can go ahead of us in La Liga, and we have to try to avoid that.”