"Everybody else is game" – Rio Ferdinand says only 2 sides can beat Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League this season
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has identified two teams - Bayern Munich and Napoli - who could beat Manchester City in the ongoing UEFA Champions League.
City progressed to the quarter-finals of the continental competition with a 8-1 win on aggregate over RB Leipzig, triumphing 7-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday (March 14). Erling Haaland made the headlines with five goals, while Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne bagged a goal apiece in the second half.
Haaland breaks record as Man City progress in style 👏
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Speaking on BT Sport, Ferdinand claimed that Manchester City would be keen to avoid facing Bayern Munich and Napoli in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. He elaborated:
"Manchester City will be thinking, 'Stay away from Bayern Munich, stay away from Napoli. Everybody else is game.' They are that good a team. They have experience at this level now and they've got the quality players that can hurt any team on the planet."
Former Manchester United and Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves also pitched into the conversation. Lauding City, he added:
"If Manchester City play like that, they don't need to worry about anybody else. They don't need to worry about Benfica or AC Milan or Inter Milan. The most underrated side, I would say, is Napoli. When they get it right, they're a threat. They'd give City a game."
Heaping praise on Luciano Spalletti's Napoli, Hargreaves continued:
"They're one of the best teams in Europe this season, one of the top scorers, they play beautiful football. If you're not putting any respect on the name, then you need to watch them because they're the real deal. Seriously, they could win the Champions League."
Apart from Bayern and Napoli/Frankfurt, Pep Guardiola's side could face Chelsea, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Benfica, Real Madrid/Liverpool in the last-eight stage.
What a season 🤤
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Manchester City told to splash £115 million for UEFA Champions League star: Reports
According to Daily Mail, RB Leipzig have slapped a hefty price tag on Josko Gvardiol amid a number of rumors about his future. Manchester City and Chelsea, who are considered to be the front-runners, are set to be asked for £115 million for the Croatian centre-back's signature.
The Cityzens are aiming to add Gvardiol to their ranks as their first-choice left-sided centre-back. While Aymeric Laporte is likely to seal a summer departure, Nathan Ake is viewed as a quality squad option.
Gvardiol, 21, has emerged as one of the most sought-after defenders in the world since the turn of the year. He has scored five goals and laid out four assists in 77 matches across all competitions for Leipzig so far.