Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has said that his team need to be "mentally ready" to face Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
The Blues will welcome the Spanish giants to Stamford Bridge for the first leg of their last-16 tie.
Barcelona are seen by many as the favourites to overcome the reigning Premier League champions, but Rudiger has said that home advantage could be key as Chelsea look to take a positive result into the return fixture.
"Football is played out on the pitch for 90 minutes, it is not what happens before," Rudiger told the London Evening Standard.
"Anyone who has fear or something like that should not play. You have to be mentally ready when the referee blows the whistle. That's it. I'm ready for them. My respect for them is good, but once the referee blows the whistle I will always try to win my games.
"Everyone knows what kind of quality [Lionel] Messi has. But we have to take this match. We are playing at home and it could be an advantage for us. When I was younger, I was dreaming about playing in a game like this. I think everyone does. I played against them before with Roma, but now I'm with Chelsea."
Chelsea will enter Tuesday's match off the back of a 4-0 win over Hull City in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Matt Law
