Edin Dzeko believes his Inter Milan side have been unlucky in drawing Liverpool in the knock-out stages of the Champions League.
And the former Manchester City striker has praised the Reds for capturing the signatures of two of his former Roma team-mates, Mohamed Salah and Alisson Becker.
Liverpool travel to Milan on Wednesday for the first leg of their round-of-16 clash with the Italian champions.
And Dzeko, who joined Inter from Roma in the summer, told the Mail : "It hasn't been a lucky draw for us because Liverpool definitely can hurt anyone. But it is the Champions League, the best in the world. Liverpool are favourites, we know it.
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“But you cannot say 100 per cent one team will beat the other. We have a great team, too, and I'd say there will be lots of goals.
"We are both attacking teams. We are not a typical Italian side that stays back. But in games like this you have to defend well.”
The Premier League title winner praised the efforts of Liverpool's scouting team for signing both Salah and Alisson.
"Liverpool did an amazing job. I don't know who the scouts are but when you see the prices they paid [Salah £39.6m, Alisson £64.6m], it's incredible. Momo and Ali made the right choice going there," Dzeko added.
“I'm so happy for him, a great guy who deserves everything he has achieved. It's the same with Alisson. We were together two years and in the second season, we got to the semi-final of the Champions League when Liverpool beat us.
“We lost that in the first leg at Anfield. A big part of getting there was down to Alisson. Some of his saves… wow! To win the big trophies, you need players like these.”
