Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stressed that his side are far off from touching the heights of Barcelona. The Catalan tactician is just games away from guiding the Citizens to their third Premier League title in six seasons, but insists they cannot be compared with Barcelona, until they attain the same amount of success as the Blaugrana.

Speaking ahead of the Champions League tie versus Basel, Guardiola said:"No. It's completely different players, the players in the past won a lot. We are nil, most of us. We are new here. Now we can say we have won one title but it is not comparing, so no.It's not good for us to be compared with that team. That team has dominated for the last decade, 15 or 20 years with different managers and different players.”

Guardiola celebrated his first silverware with the Citizens as they beat Arsenal in the League Cup final last month, and they now require just four wins in the next nine league matches in order to complete the double with the Premier League title. Most of the English media reckon the Citizens can end Real Madrid’s dominance in the Champions League this term, and their fate could depend on whom they may face in the quarter-final stage, with their round of 16 second-leg versus Basel more or less a formality after picking up a 4-0 win on the road.
The former Barcelona manager has spent significantly to bolster the backline this term, but this has not been primarily the reason behind their success. Players like Raheem Sterling, Nicolas Otamendi, and Kevin de Bruyne have vastly improved under the Spaniard’s tutelage, and there has been an immense increment in the overall morale within the team, which put in inconsistent performances last campaign. City have dropped just nine points in the league this term, and they are on course to break Chelsea’s record of 95 from their maiden Premier League triumph back in the 2004/05 season.