Sergio Busquets Talks 'Better' Manchester United, Lionel Messi Before UCL Clash

Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets has said his side are facing a "better" version of Manchester United under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and has opened up on what it's like to train with Lionel Messi every day.

The Blaugrana visit Old Trafford on Wednesday for the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final clash between the two sides. Busquets is expected to start at the base of midfield and play a typically key role for his team.

Speaking to Pete Jenson of the Daily Mail, the playmaker commented on the type of challenge he expects from the Red Devils:

"United are better now under Solskjaer. They don't mind letting you have the ball because they sometimes know that the other side are technically better, but as we saw against PSG, they take advantage of their counter-attacks and their set-pieces. If you make any mistakes, they capitalise."

Barcelona breezed into the quarter-finals after beating Lyon 5-1 on aggregate in the last-16. For United, their route was a lot more dramatic, as they completed a remarkable comeback win against Paris Saint-Germain with a last-gasp penalty from Marcus Rashford (UK only):

The Blaugrana are the favourites heading into the tie, primarily due to the fact they have an in-form Messi to call upon.

The Barcelona No. 10 is enjoying yet another incredible season, and in the win over Lyon, he scored twice and notched two assists.

Busquets said, having trained with Messi for so long, he's become used to his brilliance:

"We have the good fortune to train with him every day. I've spent the last 11 years with him, so you get that greater concentration of him doing these things.

"We're not quite as surprised by it all. There isn't a goal he's scored on the pitch that we haven't seen in training and he's also repeating goals he has scored in previous seasons. He is unique."

Per the Champions League Twitter account, Messi is scoring at a remarkable rate this term:

Busquets was also asked about Messi's statement earlier in the season that winning the Champions League is the priority for the team this term.

"We didn't know he was going to say that," he said. "But all clubs want to do well in the Champions League, don't they? It's the most prestigious trophy there is, and it is even more important for us after having not won it for so many years."

Spanish football journalist David Cartlidge thinks the team are looking in fine shape ahead of this encounter:

With an 11-point advantage intact at the top of La Liga and a Copa del Rey final place secured, Barcelona can focus squarely on the Champions League in the coming weeks. 

The last time the team won the competition was in 2015, capping off a spell of three successes in the space of six years. While four years without the prize doesn't represent a major drought, for the likes of Messi and Busquets, there will be a desire to be crowned kings of Europe again.