Lisbon: FC Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal has warned Bayern Munich that they are up against the "best side" in the world and should know what to expect when the two sides meet in the Champions League quarter-final on Friday.
Barca and Bayern are the only two previous winners still left in the competition.
"I've heard (what's been said)," Vidal said in a news conference on Thursday when asked what he thought about the noise coming from the Bayern camp. "But I have not paid much attention to it.
"I know Bayern's players and what's said has come from outside and is not what (the players) think. They have a lot of confidence but they're not playing against a Bundesliga team on Friday, they're up against Barcelona, the best team in the world."
Vidal played 123 games with Bayern Munich from 2015-2018 and won three Bundesliga titles, two SuperCups, and the DFB Pokal in that span.
"I understand the criticism," the former Bayern midfielder said. "But we are the best team in the world. That wasn't reflected on the pitch in LaLiga and we missed out on the title, but if we connect we can beat anyone. That is why I say we are the best and we have to show it against Bayern," he added.
Barcelona had failed to win the La Liga this season as they finished five points adrift of the winner Real Madrid. Their second-place finish has already put a lot of pressure on the manager Quique Setien.
On the other hand, Bayern Munich have been in fantastic form since the play resumed after the lockdown as they won their eighth straight championship in Germany.
