Manchester: Man City manager Pep Guardiola said the English champions are still not strong enough to count themselves as contenders for a maiden Champions League. City are the bookmakers' favourites to win European football's biggest prize after over a decade of huge investment from the club's Abu Dhabi owners and in Guardiola's fourth season in charge.

However, the Catalan, who has won the Champions League twice as manager and once as a player at Barcelona, thinks City will be punished in the latter stages of the competition if they continue their inconsistent English Premiership form.