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Real Madrid and Barcelona prediction made by Man City boss Pep Guardiola
PEP GUARDIOLA reckons Real Madrid and Barcelona have a greater chance of winning the Champions League than Manchester City this season.
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City don’t have a rich pedigree in Europe’s elite competition.
Pep Guardiola’s men fell at the quarter-final stage last term to Liverpool, who have won the tournament five times in their illustrious history.
While City stormed to the Premier League title with 100 points last season, they are yet to go as far as they would have liked in the Champions League.
Guardiola has already won the competition twice in his managerial career.
But he’s not sure of City’s credentials and thinks Real, Barcelona and Juventus will take some beating.
“If we are favourites it means we are good, really good,” Guardiola said.
“But the best the club has done is a semi-final and I don’t know if we are ready, to be honest.
“When you believe you can win, then you have to do it.
“AC Milan, who will soon return to the Champions League, have won it seven times.
“The favourites are the clubs with a bigger history and tradition than us.
“Real Madrid and Barcelona and also Juventus have been to the final twice recently and are getting closer every time.”
Meanwhile, Guardiola thinks fans are lucky to see Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo play at the same time as each other.
He added: “Leo is a competitive, fierce animal.
"That helps others to be competitive. He hates to lose and plays like when he was a kid.
“In big matches, if the team helps him, he makes the difference.
"Together with Cristiano [Ronaldo] we have lived and are living an era of two phenomena.
"They have spent 10 years scoring 50 goals a season. It's incredible.”