Guardiola, who twice won the Champions League as Barcelona head coach, was appointed City manager with a remit to bring European silverware to the club.
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Under the Catalan, they have consistently reached the knockout phase but have never progressed beyond the quarter-final stage, and ahead of their Group C clash with Olympiacos on Tuesday, Guardiola acknowledged the quest to become European champions seems to become more of a challenge with each passing season.
“It’s difficult. Last season, Atalanta, look at what happened, semi-finals of the Champions League, and the Italian league was incredible. Shakhtar Donetsk, look what happened and now in Real Madrid and a draw against Inter. It ridiculous, this didn’t exist before. It doesn’t matter where you go.
His City side is unbeaten in their last 13 games in the group stage of the competition, winning five of the six games at the Etihad Stadium. Even though City are currently top of Group C after a 3-1 home win over Porto and a 3-0 away victory over Marseille, Guardiola says his players must retain their focus.
“Porto is a team has to win every weekend, Olympiacos the same, they have to win, you play with this mentality you have to win too, always it’s difficult.” Gabriel Jesus is closing in on a return ahead of the Champions League clash but Guardiola may have to do without Sergio Aguero against Liverpool.
The City boss said: “It’s too early to know. We will see today, in the last session. He [Jesus] is better and did one session with the team, a regeneration. We are happy he is back, but happy with Ferran [Torres] playing there [in a more advanced role], too.” Aguero is on the mend but may not be fit in time for the blockbuster Premier League clash with reigning champions Liverpool on Sunday.
“We don’t want to take a step back, he’s getting better,” he said. “It was so hard to believe when he felt something in the last game when he played against West Ham but he’s getting better.” He added: “I don’t know about Liverpool, after the international break, [he] will be ready.”