Barcelona will have to improve to challenge for Champions League, admits Nelson Semedo

Barcelona defender Nelson Semedo has admitted that the Catalans will need to improve on their recent rocky form in order to win the Champions League this season.

Semedo spoke to the media on Monday ahead of Barca's Champions League clash against Slavia Prague on Tuesday and the Portuguese stressed on several occasions the need to play better after some disappointing displays this term, including Saturday's 3-1 loss at Levante.

Asked if Barca's position at the top of La Liga and also their Champions League group was a fair reflection of their play in 2019-20, Semedo said: "Yes, but we have to improve a lot.

"Overall, we have come off the back of a series of wins. It's fair, but clearly we have to do better."

After that, the right-back was asked if he thought Barca were candidates to win the Champions League this season.

"It's a very difficult competition," he said. "But we are Barca and for that reason, we are candidates for everything. I have already said that we have to improve."

Barca's three defeats this season have all come away from home and Semedo, like his coach Ernesto Valverde, is hoping for improvement on the road.

"We are better at home," he said. "We are very strong [at Camp Nou]. The away matches are more difficult. If we improve away, we will be better off."

In their last away game in the Champions League, Barca beat Slavia 2-1 but needed goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen to make a series of saves and afterwards, the German goalkeeper said he and his team-mates needed to talk about their poor performance in the Czech capital.

But Semedo said: "We didn't have to talk. We all know we can give more individually."

The 25-year-old is set to start at right-back on Tuesday after filling in on the left for Jordi Alba, who was carrying a knock, at Levante on Saturday.