MADRID, April 5 -- FC Barcelona striker Leo Messi insisted on Tuesday that his side would never go into a football game content for it to end in a draw.
Messi was asked the question after Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said on Monday that a 0-0 draw against Tottenham Hotspurs would be a good result for his side in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
Barcelona face Shakhtar Donetsk in their own game on Wednesday and the Argentinean ace said that Barca would never settle for a draw.
"We will try and win and I hope that things work out for us. We never think about drawing our games," said Messi in his pre-game press conference.
"We aim to win tomorrow. The most important thing is winning and if we can open up a lead, then so much the better. That would allow us to go with more tranquillity to the return leg in the Ukraine," he added.
Should both Barcelona and Real Madrid win their corresponding ties, the two sides would meet in the semi-finals of the Champions League. They will also meet in the La Liga and the Copa del Rey over the next fortnight, meaning the two teams will play a total of four "Classicos" in less than three weeks.
"We are not thinking about that yet, because it is not the time, " said Messi. "We know that on Wednesday we have to play a difficult rival, a team that plays well and which has good players. We have played them before and they have always made things difficult, so it will be a very even game," continued the striker.
Messi admitted he was still feeling the effects of a slight groin injury and added that he hoped striker Pedro Rodriguez could also return to full fitness in the near future. He ended his appearance by saying he and his companions were relaxed ahead of Wednesday's first leg.
"We don't feel pressure at this stage of the season. Maybe we have a bit of pressure because we are at home and obliged to win the game, but that changes nothing, because it is always like that. Meanwhile the fans are always with us and even more so in the Champions League," he concluded.