Dynamo Kyiv coach says Barça aren't good enough to win Champions League

Dynamo Kyiv manager Mircea Lucescu says the current Barcelona side are not good enough to win the Champions League this season. 

Lucescu's side take on Barça at Camp Nou on Wednesday with 13 players missing -- nine have tested positive for coronavirus, one is suspended and three are injured. 

"I honestly think that right now Barça aren't at the necessary level to win the competition," he said. "It's true they're doing well with younger players, but for that reason they need time." 

Asked who the favourites are, the veteran coach added: "I think that at the moment, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are a step ahead of Barça." 

Lucescu said he would have preferred to not have to play Barça and have the game postponed but as they have 13 available A list players, UEFA rules state they have to play the match. 

PRAISE FOR MESSI 

The former Romania and Turkey coach, among others such as Inter and Galatasaray, also spoke about Barcelona forward Lionel Messi. 

He said: "Messi is doing a lot of things for the collective. He's not just thinking about himself but about the team. He's fighting a lot, always trying to set up goals and, if he can, score. You can see that he wants to help the youngest players." 

Lucescu also spoke about Barça coach Ronald Koeman: "After what happened in Lisbon (against Bayern Munich) it's normal that Barça needed changes. They're playing well in Europe, but they're finding it a bit harder in Spain because teams know them much better."