The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder admits he admires the Chelsea striker as well as Cesc Fabregas but hopes to see his side put in a dominant display against them on Wednesday
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti believes Chelsea are lucky to have a fiery character like Diego Costa in their team, insisting it is good to have someone who "uses warfare to win".
The Blues striker is famous for his physical style of play and his tendency to aggravate opponents and is one of the most frequently booked players in the Premier League this term.
And Verratti admits he has an admiration for Costa's desire to win at all costs and believes he is a completely different personality off the field to the one displayed on it.
“I prefer entertaining football, but having a personality like Costa in your team is always good," he told The Guardian. "He uses warfare to win the games, but I know him, he’s a good guy who transforms when he comes on the pitch.
“I watch a lot of football. If I was to pick a player that I identify with in this Chelsea team it would be Cesc Fabregas. He makes you see what the game is about, he breathes football and you can tell by his way of playing how much he loves it. He was already a great player when I just got started, so I’ve watched him a lot. He’s an example who I’ve tried to learn from.”
The midfielder will come up against the Chelsea duo when PSG travel to Stamford Bridge looking to maintain their lead over Guus Hiddink's men from the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
And Verratti was pleased with his side's display but hopes to see an even more dominant performance from the Ligue 1 leaders on Wednesday.
"We confirmed we are a good team [in the first leg], but there are things we could have done better,” the Italy international added.
"We could have put Chelsea in more trouble. We have to go to London and play our football, if we do anything else we’ll be in trouble.
“We need to keep the possession of the ball, attack and go for an early goal. These are the games that we wait for all season. Being eliminated in the Champions League would be a bit of a disaster.
"We will have to show more personality than in the first leg, because we’re playing at Stamford Bridge, which is always different from playing at home. But we need to play the same kind of football."
The 23-year-old joined the Parisian side from Pescara in 2012 and is delighted to have learned from some esteemed figures in the game, having worked with Claude Makelele, David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in France.
“I was very young when I first got to Paris and Claude Makelele looked after me and gave me lots of advice.
“I had the pleasure of getting to know David Beckham, an icon of football and beyond that. He’s a great person, but I had no idea he was such a shy guy. Sometimes when you speak to him he blushes.
“It’s very strange, he’s famous around the world but in private he is very shy. We used to mix English, Italian and Spanish to communicate. He is polite and has good values, that’s why everybody respects him. He’s a great person and a terrific player."
- Goal