Football
Mark Rodden 9y

PSG midfielder Marco Verratti: We're stronger than last year

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti has dismissed talk of a crisis at the club and insists that his side can win the Champions League this season.

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Pressure is already mounting on PSG manager Laurent Blanc following a slow start to the season during which the French champions have drawn five of their first eight league matches.

But, ahead of Tuesday evening's Champions League clash against Barcelona in the French capital, Verratti, 21, claimed that PSG are in better shape than last season.

"I think we're stronger," he told L'Equipe. "We all know each other better than a year ago. For the moment we're not playing as well but there were drawn matches, like the one at Rennes, where we created a lot of chances.

"It's true that we're producing some so-so matches. But we're not in crisis. We still haven't lost any games. We just have to think about playing better and especially about scoring more goals."

Following a 1-1 draw away to Ajax in their opening Champions League game, PSG will defend a 29-game unbeaten home run in European competition when they host Barcelona at the Parc des Princes.

Verratti believes that his team could end up challenging the Catalans for European silverware this season.

"Barcelona are a very strong team," the Italian international said. "Real Madrid are too but it's hard to win the competition twice in a row. After that, there's Bayern Munich and PSG who can challenge for the title."

Already in his third season at the club, this month Verratti signed a one-year contract extension that ties him to PSG until 2019.

The former Pescara player told L'Equipe that he had not been thinking about leaving Paris.

"Staying here was always my first choice," he said. "I'm playing with one of the best clubs in the world and with a very good coach who gives me his trust.

"So I didn't have it in my head to leave. When I feel good in a team I don't look elsewhere, even if they talk about Real Madrid or Bayern Munich."

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