Messi: Guardiola is a coach who studies everything
Lionel Messi believes former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola will not leave anything to chance when he takes his Bayern Munich side to Camp Nou for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final on Wednesday.
However, despite winning 14 trophies in a stunning four-year spell in charge of the Catalans between 2008 and 2012, the Argentina No10 doesn't think his inside knowledge of Barça will be a big advantage to the German champions.
"It is the same for both sides. Pep knows us very well and we know what he asks of his players. It is 50-50."
Lionel Messi
"He was with us for a long time and we had the luck to win many titles and experience important moments," said Messi. "He is a coach who studies everything."
"It is the same for both sides. Pep knows us very well and we know what he asks of his players. It is 50-50, we both know each other very well."
Barcelona also have revenge on their minds, though, after Bayern inflicted their heaviest-ever European defeat in a 7-0 thrashing at the same stage of the competition two years ago.
"We need to prepare for the game knowing what it means playing in a semi-final of the Champions League and against a great team," said Messi. "That semi-final hurt us a lot, but a lot of time has passed since. We come into the game differently, as do they, and it will be a different tie to that one."