Deco: Porto can beat Barca

Former Portugal star Deco feels Porto have what it takes to defeat Barcelona should the teams be drawn together in the Champions League.

Porto are the Portuguese champions and after their loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, they finished second in Group A which means they could be pitted against Tito Vilanova’s men for the first round of the knockout stages.

Deco, who played for both clubs during his career, insisted Porto should not be scared of facing Barca and feels they could even beat the Spanish giants.

“Porto is Portugal’s best representative in European competition. If they have to play Barcelona, it will not be a hopeless situation for them,” Deco told Sport.

“Of course, it is never easy to play at Camp Nou. Much less when you have to go and get a result. But, Benfica were not intimidated by going there.”

Deco enjoyed a hugely successful spell at Porto, winning the Champions League in 2004 before moving to Barcelona where two years later he won the competition for a second time.