Ferdinand claims only one thing can stop Man City winning the Champions League now
Rio Ferdinand thinks Man City are “standout favourites” for the Champions League after they beat Copenhagen to move into the quarter-finals.
The Citizens eased to a comfortable 3-1 win in the second leg of their last-16 Champions League clash against the Danish side on Wednesday with Pep Guardiola’s side winning 6-2 on aggregate.
Rio Ferdinand: Man City won’t lose over two legs
First-half goals from Manuel Akanji, Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland secured the victory with Mohamed Elyounoussi scoring for Copenhagen in between City’s second and third goals.
Man City, who are also in the Premier League title race, will be joined by Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and PSG in the final eight, as well as the other four winners of the remaining last-16 ties, which will be concluded next week.
But Ferdinand doesn’t see anyone “beating them over two legs” and reckons the only way Man City don’t win the Champions League is in the final.
“I just don’t see anybody beating them over two legs. Then it depends on who gets in the final,” Ferdinand said on TNT Sports post-match.
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“Whoever they are playing against in the final needs that stardust from one or two players who can turn a game on its head, then they have an opportunity, a chance.
“But City, I think they are standout favourites. They are a level above.”
Guardiola has been impressed by his side’s consistency in the Champions League with Man City more prepared this year for what lies ahead.
The Man City boss told reporters after beating Copenhagen: “We are a team that believes we can do it. Listen, we’re competing with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, but the important thing is that seven years in a row we are here. Consistency.
“I felt the people when we arrived from a club like Barcelona and Bayern Munich – where they demand to always be there – I felt the club, not the players, didn’t feel it.
“We are here because we needed time. People, managers don’t get time, hierarchies don’t get time. But they gave us time to lose against Monaco, lose against Liverpool, lose against Tottenham – all (part of) the process to do it, because when a team comes from never ever being in that position, you cannot do it.
“It is easy for clubs that have big history – start with the best ones, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Bayern Munich or Man United – they have been used to it.
“You need time and they gave me time. Now we are in a process where we can lose, definitely, but we can compete everywhere because we’ve come from the final, semi-final, final, now the quarter-finals again. That means our consistency in Europe.”
