Beckham wants PSG positive thinking to beat Messi and co but team-mate Ibrahimovic gets physical

David Beckham hopes a bit of
positive thinking will help Paris St
Germain stand up to the might of
Barcelona and Messi in the
Champions League this week,
though it seems team-mate Zlatan
Ibrahimovic has suggested
roughing them up may be a better
option.
The Ligue 1 leaders host the 2009
and 2011 champions in the
Champions League quarter-finals
on Tuesday, the first time the
Parisien outfit have reached the
last eight of the competition.
Despite significant investment in
the last two years, PSG go into the
tie as underdogs, such is the
experience and depth of talent
available to the Catalans, with the
majority of their squad having
played a part in previous triumphs.
   
    Beckham appreciates the stand
out talent at Barca is Messi, the
four-time Ballon D’Or winner, but
the former England captain has
demanded his team-mates believe
they are capable of getting the
better of the collective.
The former Real Madrid man, who
has 105 Champions League
appearances behind him, told
French television: ‘They’re perhaps
the best team in the world, and
[Lionel] Messi is the best player,
but he’s not out there on the pitch
alone.
‘We have to convince ourselves it’s
possible. We’re going to meet the
challenge. We mustn’t go out
there thinking we’re going to lose.’
           Ibrahimovic admits his side will
come up against the best team
and, in Messi, the best player in
the world today - and possibly, in
each case, the greatest ever.
‘Today, for sure Leo Messi’s the
best player,’ he said. ‘Maybe they
should put the name Messi on the
Ballon D’Or, he has a couple of
years more to win it.
‘As an active player, it’s difficult to
say he’s the best who’s ever
played football. Messi has to quit
football, then you can decide if
he’s the best or not.
‘It will be a difficult game, they are
probably the best team today and
probably the best team ever
playing football on this planet.
         
            ‘It will be very exciting to try to
find how to play, how to disturb
them. Milan played a good tactical
game and disturbed Barcelona in
their game.’
On Beckham, the Swede, who is
available for the match after UEFA
overturned a two-game ban
stemming from his red card in the
first leg of the last 16 against
Valencia, added: ‘He has big
quality and he’s a fighter, he has a
big heart.
‘With two months left, we are still
playing for so many competitions
and that’s where he becomes so
important, not all our players have
this experience of winning
trophies.’