Champions League: Power ranking the 8 quarter-final teams
5. Manchester City
On paper, this Manchester City side is as good as any. With players like Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Yaya Toure and club captain Vincent Kompany, it is easy to see why they have progressed this far through the tournament. This is the farthest that the Manchester club have ever got in Europe, but with the vast amounts of cash that have been splashed on Europe’s best players over the past few seasons, that does not mean they are inexperienced.
Yaya Toure is a Champions League winner, Silva, Aguero and Nicolas Otamendi have all played for some of Europe’s top clubs. They have the talent, but also the know-how, to challenge clubs like Bayern Munich and the Barcelona. Moreover, they have one of the best managers in soccer. Manuel Pellegrini is getting an undoubtedly rough deal at the Etihad with the announcement that Pep Guardiola will be coming to City in the Summer earlier this season, Pellegrini never really had a chance.
He is, though, a top class manager, and has worked at the very biggest clubs in Europe, including Real Madrid. He knows how to win. That much is true, and if given a good side, can set up a team to beat any opposition. At Man. City, he has a very good side at his disposal, and it’s fair to say that there won’t be any clubs that would be happy with facing Pellegrini’s men in the last eight.
Next: 4. Paris Saint-Germain