Pep Guardiola Relishing Man City Clash With 'Historic' Borussia Monchengladbach

Pep Guardiola knows Manchester City will have to be at their best if they are to make the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the fourth season running, after Tuesday's draw pit them against Borussia Monchengladbach in the round of 16.

Marco Rose's team advanced from a daunting Group D after they were drawn against Real Madrid, Inter and Shakhtar Donetsk. They beat Shakhtar home and way, scoring ten goals in the process, and took points from the other two clubs to ensure that even a defeat to Real in their final group match wasn't enough to send them out of the competition.

One of the biggest clubs in football in the 70s, 'Gladbach are beginning to re-establish themselves at an elite level, and Guardiola is aware of the threat they pose from his time as Bayern Munich manager. He knows that their pedigree and fearless brand of football make them a match for anyone, and admits that City may be up against it when they travel to western Germany for the first leg.

"I learned when I was in Germany how big and important and historic they are as a team," Guardiola told reporters. "It is a club that I respect a lot, the quality and beauty of their football.

"To go through in a group with Shakhtar, Inter and Real with two exceptional games against Shakhtar. The only concern I have is arrive in the best condition possibly in February against them.

"I saw the highlights, I didn't see much of them properly and we start to work on this from now on."

City are looking to improve on last season's Champions League showing when they were stunned by Lyon at the quarter-final stage. They have something of a European hoodoo, having never been beyond the quarters under Guardiola, though they did make the semi-finals in 2015/16.

They have made it to the last eight in each of the past three seasons, however, and will be confident of doing so again despite a tough draw.