Cesc Fabregas believes Chelsea can take Barcelona's Champions League crown off them this season provided the Blues raise their game in Europe.

He told Standard Sport: "I think they are the best team in the world, especially when the front three are on form. I don't remember a front three in Messi, Suarez and Neymar as powerful and talented since I was born. Obviously, they are a threat to everybody in the Champions League again this season.

"Barcelona have the best strikeforce in the world and against that you have to play as a unit, you have to play very well. But there are no doubts that we can compete against anyone."

He said: "We have players like Hazard, Oscar, Costa and Willian who play in the attacking positions and for sure we have a great team.

"We showed that last season by winning the League and the Capital One Cup and we want to show it again.

"If we want to win Champions Leagues, we have to compete against the best. We will have to do well."

But Fabregas admitted the club need to improve in Europe after being knocked out at the last-16 stage by Paris St Germain.

"I always say that the Champions League was the one disappointment from last season," he said. "I gave the team a seven or an eight [out of 10] for the year, but to complete a top season we needed to do better in Europe.

"Unfortunately we went out in the last 16 on away goals. We didn't actually lose the game. But we do have to play better in the Champions League this season."