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Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has stated he believes Manchester City can win the Champions League this season.
The former Napoli boss, whose team City beat twice in the group stage last season on their way to the quarter final, thinks City or Juventus are the only teams that could win it, but that is dependent on what the Spanish teams do.
Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, Sarri said “This season, there are only two candidates to win the Champions League: Juve and Manchester City. I always thought Pep Guardiola’s side were mature enough for the final step on the European stage, but then we’ll have to see how the Spanish clubs are doing in March.”
The blues beat Sarri’s Napoli side 2-1 at The Etihad Stadium, before recording a remarkable 4-2 win in the return leg as they topped the group with five wins from six. However, City lost the second leg of their last 16 tie at home to Basle, then went on to lose both quarter final matches with Liverpool.
The blues have had an indifferent start to their Champions League season this time around, losing at home to Lyon, before coring a late winner in Hoffenheim to keep them in contention of progressing from the group. City face Shakhtar Donetsk at The Etihad on 23rd October, where a win could put them top of the group, dependent on Lyon’s result against Hoffenheim. City beat the Ukraine side 2-0 at home last season, while Shakhtar became the first team to beat the blues in any competition, winning the return leg 2-1. That result prompted their manager Paola Fonseca to fulfil his promise to wear a Zorro mask if his team beat the blues.