Club World Cup: Alves out to avoid complacency as Barca seek third win

Dani Alves is taking nothing for granted ahead of
Barcelona's campaign for a third FIFA Club World Cup
triumph:- Photo Filed.

Barcelona are set to turn their attention to the quest for Club
World Cup glory and Dani Alves is determined to ensure the
favourites do not fall flat in Japan.

The competition gets underway on Thursday as Auckland City
take on Sanfrecce Hiroshima in Yokohama for a place in the
quarter-finals. CAF Champions League holders TP Mazembe
await the winner of that match in the last eight.

But, although Barca do not enter the competition until the semi-
finals, all the focus will be on the European and Spanish
champions as they aim to win the competition for the third time.

Barca beat Estudiantes 2-1 in the 2009 final having lost to
Internacional in the Yokohama showpiece three years earlier
and then thrashed Santos 4-0 in the 2011 final.

The Yokohama International Stadium will again be scene of this
year's final and Alves wants the Catalan club to avoid
complacency as they attempt to keep the trophy in Spain
following Real Madrid's success last year.

He told TVE: "We want to re-enter the history of football, that's
our challenge. It's a very desirable competition.

"But, watch out, we have to go game by game so we don't end
up like other teams who thought about a final then didn't play
it."

The last time a European team did not reach the final was back
in 2000 when the tournament used a group stage format and
both Madrid and Manchester United missed out.

Standing in Barca's way in the semi-finals will be Club America
or Guangzhou Evergrande - who are to meet in the quarters after
winning the CONCACAF Champions League and AFC Champions
League respectively.

Luiz Felipe Scolari's Guangzhou possess some players - in the
form of former Madrid forward Robinho and ex-Tottenham
midfielder Paulinho - who could cause Barca some problems
Meanwhile, America are bidding to become the first Mexican
team to reach the final and captain Rubens Sambueza told
FIFA.com: "Playing Barca is enough to motivate any player but
we know very well that we've got Guangzhou Evergrande
first. We'll have to perform very well if we want to go through
and play Barcelona.

"The dream is to make the final and win it. This team has a real
hunger for glory and we want to make history."

Barca's most likely opponents in the final are Copa Libertadores
winners River Plate, who won the 1986 Intercontinental Cup and
will face either TP Mazembe, Auckland or Sanfrecce in the last
four.

"We know that if we get through the semi-final we could well be
coming up against a great team," River midfielder Carlos
Sanchez said.

"We've got that extra motivation that could work in our favour.

We want to live up to expectations and put in a great
performance. We don't just want to go through. We want to do
it in style."