Barcelona star Lionel Messi has taunted Manchester United: You won't dare go toe-to-toe with us.

Ahead of the Champions League final, Messi told The Sun: "We're the best team in Europe in an open game and this will give us the advantage. If they come out to play it will be a beautiful game - and I hope it will benefit us.

"I remember last year's semi-final. They were two evenly-matched games, very tight. The tie was decided by the great goal they scored."

Back on May 2, Barcelona thumped Real Madrid 6-2 at the Bernabeu in La Liga's title sealer. For Messi, that game proved any team, however great, which attacks Barca does so at their peril.

In this season's dramatic Champions League semi-final against the Catalan giants, Chelsea spent practically 180 minutes camped inside their own half with Barcelona frantically trying to find a breakthrough.

Messi added: "The game in Madrid shows why Chelsea did what they did - sit back and try not to leave any spaces for us to play our football.

"For that reason, I say that for us it's an advantage when a team plays football and tries to match Barcelona as equals. Manchester can be that team with the players they have."