BARCELONA are "90 minutes from perfection", their elegant central defender Gerard Pique insisted ahead of a mouth-watering Champions League final clash against Juventus on Saturday evening.
The Catalans are on the brink of emulating the feat of the 2009 side in winning the treble: the Spanish league and cup and, most important of all, the Champions League. This time around, Barcelona may be even better thanks to their awesome front trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez - perhaps the best attacking force in club football since the days of Ferenc Puskas, Alfredo di Stefano and Gento for Real Madrid.
Pique, at least, believes that the current Barca side are the best. He told a news conference at Berlin's Olympic Stadium: "We have an amazing team - one of the best sides in the history of our club. We are 90 minutes from perfection.
"Maybe we were not at our best at the start of the season, but we have managed to turn it around. But if we want to be seen as the best, we have to prove it, and tomorrow is the time to show it with so many people watching."
For Brazilian forward Neymar, winning the Champions League would be the high point in his career so far, and he believes that having clicked off-the-field with his fellow Latin Americans Messi and Suarez has helped their understanding on the pitch.
Neymar said: "Leo and Luis are two extraordinary players, they are extremely high quality. We're very good friends off the pitch as well as on it and I think that helps a lot.
"I'm feeling quite confident we can be victorious - this is the best moment in my life so far and I hope I can kiss the trophy tomorrow."
Neymar was criticised for show-boating in the Spanish Cup, but said he would not change his style.
"No, I'll change nothing," he said
"Just keep scoring, keep dribbling."
The 23-year-old Neymar has followed in a rich tradition of Brazilian players to wear the Barca jersey, but not all of them have lifted the Champions League trophy while at the club.
"To play in the final is a dream that I've had as a boy and I'm very close to it," Neymar added.
The Primera Division champions last won the competition in 2011 and were eliminated last season by Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals in Neymar's first year at the club.
Barca, in Luis Enrique's first year as coach, have enjoyed a hugely successful campaign already. They won the Primera Division title and claimed a record 27th Copa del Rey trophy - Neymar's first with the team since arriving two years ago.
Juve, who eliminated Barca's arch-rivals Real Madrid in the semi-finals of Europe's elite club competition, have also enjoyed a successful season under coach Massimiliano Allegri in his first year at the club.
The Italian champions won the domestic double for the first time since the 1994-95 campaign, losing just three of their 38 Serie A games overall and finishing 17 points clear of nearest rivals Roma.
Luis Enrique also confirmed that midfielder Andres Iniesta is available after a calf injury.
