Ilkay: We are now ready to conquer Europe

CITY players feel ready for Champions League success, according to Ilkay Gundogan.

Pep Guardiola’s side will enter tomorrow’s draw among the top eight seeds in the competition, meaning they avoid European heavyweights including Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

The Blues won their group in style last season and eased past Basel in the last 16, only to crash out in a controversial quarterfinal against Liverpool, losing 5-1 on aggregate.

Despite that disappointment, the mood in the club remains optimistic.

It is one of the two priorities for the Blues alongside the Premier League, and players remain convinced they have enough quality to go all the way.

“I dream of winning the Champions League title with Manchester City and a title with Germany,” said Gundogan.

“In Manchester last season we had the feeling that we are ready for it. It was not enough. This year nothing has changed in this feeling.

“I believe that we are even a bit more mature. We have the potential to become Champions League winners.”

City’s best run in the tournament came in the 2015/16 season when Manuel Pellegrini led his team to the semi-finals before suffering a tame defeat to Real Madrid.

Guardiola has won the competition twice before as a coach with Barcelona, although he failed to make it beyond the last four in three attempts with Bayern Munich and saw City lose to Monaco in the last 16 in his first season at the Etihad.