Champions League

Pep Guardiola: 'Manchester City nowhere near Barcelona's level'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 06 March 2018

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola targets Champions League glory with the Citizens before comparisons with his former Barcelona side can begin.

Pep Guardiola has insisted that there is still plenty of work to be done before his Manchester City side can be compared to former club Barcelona.

The Citizens are embarking on an era of domestic dominance in English football, having already lifted the EFL Cup and dropped just nine points in their opening 29 Premier League games.

City are now within four wins of a third top-flight triumph in six years, and also hold a four-goal advantage over Basel heading into the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

Guardiola has played down comparisons with the great Barca side he led to European glory in 2009 and 2011, however, as City have only won one trophy - the EFL Cup - under his leadership so far.

"It's completely different players; the players in the past won a lot. We are nil, most of us," he told reporters at his pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday's visit of Basel. "We are new here. Now we can say we have won one title but it is not comparing, so no.

"It's not good for us to be compared with that team. That team has dominated for the last decade, 15 or 20 years with different managers and different players.

"Every season, they have won a lot of things and we have won just the first title. To join this kind of team, you have to be there for a long time - many years - but we've won just one title, that's all."

Guardiola won 14 major honours during his four years at Camp Nou, including three La Liga crowns and a couple of Copas del Rey.