Guardiola asked if he hopes Man City avoid Premier League rivals Liverpool & Chelsea in the Champions League

Pep Guardiola has said it is not more difficult to play an English side in the Champions League, than an opponent from abroad.

Manchester City’s European ambitions have been extinguished in three of the last four years by Premier League sides, with Chelsea beating Guardiola’s men in last season’s final.

Meanwhile, City were eliminated from the competition by Tottenham Hotspur in 2018/19, and Liverpool the year prior. The exception in that run is Lyon, with the Ligue 1 outfit dumping City out two years ago.

But the Sky Blues’ chances of facing an English side in the quarter-finals of this season’s competition are relatively high, with Liverpool already in the last eight and Chelsea likely to join them given their 2-0 advantage over Lille from their last-16 first leg.

Manchester United’s name could also be in the next round as they host Atletico Madrid on Tuesday having drawn 1-1 in the Wanda Metropolitano last month.

Therefore, three of City’s seven potential quarter-final opponents could be English sides, although Guardiola doesn’t see this as a concern.

“I would say no,” he responded, when asked if it was any more difficult than playing a foreign side. “It is difficult for us but for them too and for opponents from other countries as well.

“We are in the eight best teams in Europe and we will prepare well. Next Friday we are going to see the draw and we are prepared.

“It’s an honour to be there. Important teams are already out. We’ll see next week what happens but already the four teams [who] are in the last eight… [they are] not bad at all.”

City and Liverpool have secured their place in the quarter-final draw, along with European heavyweights Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. The other four teams will be decided during the second legs of the last-16 ties, which take place on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.