Bayer Leverkusen captain Simon Rolfes says his team are up for the challenge of Barcelona and will not give the Catalans too much respect.
The two sides meet at the BayArena on Tuesday in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 tie.
Both teams fell to league defeats at the weekend, with reigning European champions Barca slipping to a shock 3-2 defeat at Osasuna, while Leverkusen lost 1-0 at Borussia Dortmund.
"We're certainly looking forward to the game, although it would have been great to play Barca maybe a few rounds later," Rolfes said.
"It was a great success for us to get through what was a tough group, and now it is something very special indeed to be hosting Barcelona, not just because of how successful they've been in the last couple of years but because of the type of football that they play."
"Tomorrow is therefore probably the biggest challenge that we could face."
Leverkusen coach Robin Dutt said his team must make home advantage count in order to give themselves a chance in the return leg at Camp Nou.
"The result is not so much the issue, but it would be nice if we still had an open situation for the return match," Dutt said.
The German manager said that the challenge of facing a team of Barca's stature was hugely rewarding for his players and coaching staff alike.
"For the coaching staff here it is a very special game. It's very exciting to be coaching and preparing a side tactically for such a match against such a talented team."
"It's something very special to be playing such a team and to prepare for a game like this, so the sense of anticipation among the players here is huge."