Barton plays down Beckham threat ahead of Paris Saint-Germain clash

Posted Wednesday, February 20, 2013 by YAHOO Sport

Joey Barton is confident his Marseille side can contain David Beckham should the veteran midfielder make his Paris Saint-Germain debut on Sunday.

Beckham completed a short-term move to the current Ligue 1 leader in January but has yet to feature for the club after being short of match fitness. With PSG losing 3-2 at the weekend, Beckham is speculated to make his bow against title rival Marseille, but Barton - on loan from QPR - believes his current team can keep the ex-England man quiet.

"Paris have a lot of big names and big players. Beckham is a big star off the pitch but on the pitch it's not a big worry,” Barton told reporters. "He causes a lot less fear compared to when he played in the Premier League. It would be naive to concentrate on David Beckham."

The two sides meet again in the Coupe de France quarterfinals on Feb. 27, and Barton is aware that a positive result in both games will go some way to defining Marseille’s achievements this season.

"If we win on Sunday and go through on Wednesday, everything changes," Barton said. "The pressure will be on Paris. Even without superstars like at PSG, we are solid and when we play like a team, we play well."