Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes Paris Saint-Germain have the quality to make an impact on their return to the Champions League after an eight-year absence, but insisted their opening group-stage opponents Dynamo Kiev should not be underestimated.
The clubs meet at the Parc des Princes in Group A on Tuesday, and the level of expectation surrounding the French capital club is enormous after the extent of their summer spending on players such as Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Ezequiel Lavezzi.
"This will be a great experience for the club, for the players and of course the supporters," said Ibrahimovic, who has never won the trophy despite almost a decade spent at the very highest level in Europe.
"It is a great tournament, the greatest. I have played it every year but I have never won it. We have the quality, the potential.
"Every competition I play in, I want to win it."
However, the 30-year-old insisted that he will not lose any sleep if PSG do not go all the way this season.
"If I don't win it, it won't be the end of the world. I have won lots of big trophies," he continued.
"The Champions League is tough. You cannot underestimate any of the teams, even if it's not Barcelona or Real Madrid. If they are there, it's because they are good.
"Our group is not easy. To say we are the favourites means nothing, we need to work hard."
Like Ibrahimovic, PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti is in his element in Europe's top club competition, although the Italian has won the trophy four times with AC Milan, twice as a player and twice more as a coach.
He is happy with the progress made by his team in their last two Ligue 1 games, in which they have beaten both Lille and Toulouse, but also added a note of caution ahead of the Dynamo clash.
"We have the quality. We have lots of experienced players, and an experienced coach," he said.
"The last two matches have been very good, we have improved our quality, our balance and our attitude.
"I don't think we can say PSG are the favourites to win the group, but we have lots of ambition."
Ancelotti also confirmed that Thiago Silva will make his debut for the club on Tuesday night.
Silva was signed from AC Milan on a five-year deal in July but has not yet made his debut after returning from Olympic duty with Brazil carrying an injury.
With Mamadou Sakho struggling due to a thigh injury, Silva should partner compatriot Alex in the heart of the PSG back four.
Meanwhile, Dynamo coach Yuri Semin insisted that there can be no comparisons with the last time these clubs met, in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup in 2009.
"There have been a lot of changes in the two teams, we have kept a few more players, but Paris have become a team of stars," he said.
On that occasion, the sides drew 0-0 at the Parc des Princes before Dynamo advanced thanks to a 3-0 victory in the return.
"Whatever team comes here, to take anything at all is a positive result. So a 0-0, like last time, would be positive," Semin added.
Source: AFP
