Graham Ruthven: Manchester City will never have a better opportunity to win the Champions League

MANCHESTER City will arrive at the Allianz Arena this week in a more commanding position than any other team in this season’s Champions League quarter-finals. This is remarkable given the strength of opponent Pep Guardiola’s side are up against with Bayern Munich also considered contenders until they were dismantled in last week’s first leg.

City were assertive in all areas of their game against the German champions. While Bayern Munich created one or two scoring opportunities in the first half, they were dominated in the second period by an opponent with no apparent weakness. Manchester City have won 10 successive matches in all competitions and are expected to make it 11 straight wins on Wednesday night.

This season represents City’s best opportunity yet to win the Champions League under Guardiola. The field is relatively weak for being at this stage of European football’s premier club competition with Bayern Munich one of the few teams with the talent to compete at the same level. If they are swept aside, there might be no hope for the rest.

Of the teams currently top of Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues, Napoli are the only ones still involved in this season’s Champions League besides Bayern Munich – and they are teetering on the brink of an exit to AC Milan. Barcelona crashed out in the group stage while Paris Saint-Germain exited in the round of 16.

Premier League table-toppers Arsenal didn’t qualify for this season’s Champions League while Manchester United are in the Europa League. In fact, City are the only Premier League representative not to suffer a collapse in form this season – see Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.

Real Madrid certainly can’t be discounted given their track record in continental competition, but Carlo Ancelotti’s side are flawed and ageing. Atletico Madrid and Juventus have been competitive at Champions League level in recent seasons, yet are nowhere to be seen after an underwhelming first half of the 2022/23 campaign.

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“I want to [win it] a lot,” said Guardiola. “We want to try. The question has been coming every single season. I understand that. We try every single season. Teams you face are also good and want to win too. My dream is to live it again. We want to try but that doesn’t mean we are going to win.”

While Guardiola has achieved unprecedented domestic success as Manchester City manager, winning four Premier League titles in five seasons and trending towards five in six, he was hired back in 2016 to help deliver the one thing Sheikh Mansour and the decision-makers at the club wanted more than anything else – the Champions League trophy.

By that measure, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss has yet to achieve his ultimate objective at City. In this competition it’s not about the form,” said Guardiola, “it counts how you perform for 95 minutes, it doesn’t count what you have done three days ago, in this competition you have to be perfect then.”

Guardiola is referencing how Manchester City haven’t always fulfilled their potential as a team in the Champions League. Indeed, shock exits to Monaco, Tottenham Hotspur and Lyon, as well as the defeat to Chelsea in the 2021 final, show Guardiola and his players can’t afford to be complacent.

City are also fighting on three fronts with the Premier League title race going the distance and an FA Cup semi-final on the horizon. The depth of Guardiola’s squad will be tested over the coming weeks, but their recent form coupled with the way the draw has opened up suggests this might finally be their year in Europe.