Pep Gaurdiola: Manchester City are teenagers of Europe

Pep Guardiola

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has again cast doubt on the Premier League champions' readiness to win the Champions League for the first time despite being favourites for the competition.

City host Bundesliga strugglers Schalke tonight with a 3-2 first leg lead in their Last 16 tie hoping to avoid the pitfalls that did for PSG in and Real Madrid in Champions League shocks last week.

Guardiola admitted he was taken aback by Manchester United's 3-1 win in Paris and Madrid's capitulation to Ajax, but refuted suggestions their elimination had cleared the way for City to conquer Europe.

"We are teenagers in this competition. It's not excuses, of course we want to win it," said the Catalan coach yesterday. "You have to dream and point as high as possible but in the same time you have to accept there are other teams thinking the same with a lot of quality and lot of talent."

Guardiola was annoyed by City's mistakes in conceding two penalties in Gelsenkirchen three weeks ago. "In domestic competition there is another game, in this competition there is not another game. It is something unique, the focus is incredible and when you make something wrong they [the opponent] punish you," he added.

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