Hernan Crespo believes Barcelona are “a step above” Juventus ahead of their Champions League Quarter-Final.
The pair have been drawn together in the last eight of the competition, a repeat of the 2015 final which saw the Blaugrana win 3-1.
“The way I see it is, if Barça and Juve are both at 100 per cent the Blaugrana will go through. They’re stronger,” Crespo told Gazzetta dello Sport.
Hernan Crespo believes Barcelona are “a step above” Juventus ahead of their Champions League Quarter-Final.
The pair have been drawn together in the last eight of the competition, a repeat of the 2015 final which saw the Blaugrana win 3-1.
“The way I see it is, if Barça and Juve are both at 100 per cent the Blaugrana will go through. They’re stronger,” Crespo told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“That’s not to say though that [Lionel] Messi and his lads are at their best, they flopped in the first leg with Paris Saint-Germain.
“So Juve can have their say. One thing is for sure, [Max] Allegri’s lads can’t afford any mistakes, they have to be in top physical and psychological condition. And [Gonzalo] Higuain can be decisive.
“Obviously we all saw Barça’s extraordinary comeback against PSG, in the return leg at Camp Nou. It was amazing all right, but it can’t always be Sunday.
“I think that the true Barça right now isn’t the one from the first leg or the second leg against PSG, it’s somewhere in between. And in that space Juve can enter and cause problems.
“So Barcelona will go through? I didn’t say that, but logic tells you that the Spaniards are a step above.
“Everyone knows that, even Juventus, so Allegri’s team will have to play the game of their lives. In Turin they’re aware that everything will be played for over these two games.”
Crespo is a former Argentine international, and was asked about the duel between his compatriots, Higuain and Messi.
“The clash between Juve and Barcelona isn’t just about Messi and Higuain, there are other champions who can decide it. Football is a team sport.
“It’s clear though that Messi is ahead of Pipita, he has more international experience and is often decisive in the matches which count. He’s a leader.
“When he’s on the ball everyone follows him, his teammates escort him and the opponents hound him and don’t leave him alone.
“Higuain doesn’t have the same European CV, but then he’s played fewer games than Messi.
“Messi is just Messi, there’s no need to add further adjectives. He’s the best in the world. He’s been playing at a really high level for the past 10 years, it’s impressive.
“Higuain is going through a bit of a delicate period because he hasn’t scored for a few games, but no-one can question a striker like him.
“He has everything: he’s good in the air, good with his feet – on his right and his left – he’s clinical and he’s gritty at the right moment.”