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Champions League

Carles Puyol believes Barcelona can take a "giant step" forward with a victory over Shakhtar Donetsk.

Barca started their Group C campaign with a 3-1 home win over Portuguese outfit Sporting Lisbon while Shakhtar also enjoyed a winning start with a 2-1 triumph at Swiss outfit Basel.

Another victory for Barca on Wednesday would put the Catalan giants in a position of strength at the top of the standings, and not least because they next face back-to-back matches against group outsiders Basel.

"We will go into the game full of desire and I think that if we pick up the three points we will take a giant step towards qualification," said Puyol.

Barca go into the match on the back of a four-game winning streak - the team's best run of results in a year - and having seemingly recovered from their slow start to the season.

However, Pep Guardiola's side have not managed to keep a clean sheet in their last six matches since beating Wisla Krakow 4-0 in August.

That almost cost them dearly on Saturday when they came within six minutes of losing to derby rivals Espanyol, and although late strikes from Thierry Henry and Leo Messi helped Barca snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, Puyol knows they need to improve on that against Shakhtar.

"We have to try and not even give them a half-chance, even though we have the ability to react, as was seen in Montjuic (against Espanyol)," said the experienced centre-back.

"We've got the right approach and we would like to win with better scorelines, but if you play well and create chances you end up winning."

Guardiola named a 19-man squad for the trip to Donetsk, where Barca have drawn 1-1 and lost 2-0 in their previous two visits down the years.

The only change to the squad which beat Espanyol is the return of defender Martin Caceres, with Sylvinho, Victor Sanchez and Albert Jorquera omitted and Alexander Hleb and Gabriel Milito injured.

Shakhtar may have enjoyed a winning start to the Champions League group stages but their domestic form has been far from memorable this term.

In their opening nine league matches, last season's double winners have picked up just one win and drawn six.

In Shakhtar's latest game they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by local rivals Metalurh Donetsk, and coach Mircea Lucescu admits he is concerned by his side's current plight.

"A very important Champions League match against Barcelona is waiting for us. We've got to understand what's been going on with the team," he said.

"We must prepare properly for the Champions League. I hope we will be able to deliver a performance that is worthy of a team playing in such a competition. We must prove that Shakhtar deserve to be playing in Europe.

"We are wasting clear-cut opportunities. I'm not satisfied with the performances Shakhtar have been showing recently. As I have already said, I assume all responsibility."