The Catalans dished out a 3-1 Wembley final beating to the Red Devils at the end of last season to win their third Champions League in six years, but Ferguson refuses to be too intimidated by the Spanish giants.

He said during his side's pre-season tour of the USA: "Barcelona are the team of the moment. It is a cycle, it is the same players.

"They can dominate any game and could have probably done that to any other team, but it is not the kind of thing that makes you think 'let's not bother with European football anymore, we are never going to beat Barcelona'.

"Manchester United are bigger than that. The challenge will be can we improve enough to get to the final next season and win?"

Meanwhile, on the domestic front Ferguson expects Liverpool to be challenging near the summit of the Premier League, having finished down in sixth place last term.

The veteran Scot added: "Liverpool went off the radar for a bit, they are now back on it. Long-term you know they are going to be there."

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