Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola admitted he was unsure if his team were ready to win the Champions League.
Guardiola led the Premier League champions to the quarter-finals last season, almost matching their best ever run in Europe s elite club competition – the semis in 2015-16.
City are considered among the favourites to again challenge in Europe, but Guardiola said clubs with previous success in the Champions League were bigger contenders.
Our great success as a club was the Champions League semi-final, in all our history, he said on Sunday.
I don t know whether we are ready, it s the truth, I don t know. We don t have much history behind us, but so much confidence.
It s not just a matter of coach, players, club and supporters. It s a matter of believing we can and we have to win, and honestly, I don t know whether we have already reached this point.
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There will be a point where [AC] Milan will be back playing in Europe, and they have won, I don t know, five, six, seven times.
My favourites are the teams that have a history bigger than us – Real Madrid, Barcelona, these teams.
I believe Juventus buying Cristiano [Ronaldo] wanted to show that this year they want to win. They reached the final twice, each time they get closer.
Atletico Madrid will be playing at home. It s a team that did very well in the last few years. And then some other team will be in, and I hope we can be there too.
City are second in Group F through two games in the Champions League this season.