Marco Verratti PSGGetty

I’ve not seen any teams much better than PSG – Verratti

Marco Verratti believes Paris Saint-Germain are capable of winning the Champions League this season and claims that he has not seen another side in Europe significantly above them.

The Parisian side booked their place in the knockout stages of the competition thanks to a 1-0 win over Club Brugge in midweek, preserving their perfect record and clean sheet in the process.

With Real Madrid among their victims already this term, PSG are optimistic that this might finally be the year they break their duck in the competition, having embarrassingly gone no further than the quarter-finals since the takeover by QSI in 2011.

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“I think we can do very good things in the Champions League this season, with this squad if we have no problems,” Verratti told TF1’s 'Telefoot' programme. 

“Do I feel like I’m playing in the best team in the world? Yes, because I play with great players.

“We should have a lot of confidence in ourselves because I don’t really see any teams better than us.”

Meanwhile, Verratti committed his long-term future to PSG in October, signing a deal that will keep him at Parc des Princes until 2024, despite regular links in the media to the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona in the past.

The 27-year-old Italy international, though, is delighted to have his future secured and even says that he would happily finish his career in Paris.

“If I stayed, it's because this club gives me everything I'm looking for in football,” he added. “I’d have no problem with finishing my career here. 

“People ask me: ‘Why do not you try another experience?’ Because for me, here, it's always like the first day, I always want to help the team. For me, winning here is different from winning in another team.”

Verratti has played 292 games for PSG since moving to France from Pescara in 2012, including 55 in the Champions League. He has nine goals to his name and has created a further 48. He has six Ligue 1 titles to his credit.

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