Man City tipped to follow Real Madrid’s example to become Champions League dynasty

Winning back to back Champions League titles has never been achieved by an English club – but former Manchester City star Dennis Tueart reckons that’s about to change.

Pep Guardiola has been City’s history maker since arriving at the club with a trophy blitz that culminated in a first ever Champions League triumph against Inter Milan in Istanbul in June. And Tueart believes the swashbuckling Spaniard has every chance of driving City to more Euro success with the final at Wembley next year.

City kick off their group stage campaign against former winners Red Star Belgrade at The Etihad on Tuesday and Tueart is expecting another glory charge. “History tells you it’s never easy to win the Champions League twice in a row, only Real Madrid have done it.

“But if anyone is equipped to do it again then it’s this Pep team,” said Tueart, City’s League Cup final goal hero in 1976 and an FA Cup winner with Sunderland three years earlier.

“It won’t be easy, but City have the most stable and consistent squad in the competition. They have the quality and ability to beat anyone as they showed in the knock-out stage last season against Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and then Inter in the final.

“Of course, Kevin De Bruyne is injured and will be a big miss in the group stages and you’d prefer him to be available. But the beauty of City is they have players like Phil Foden who can step forward and that minimises the loss of even someone as special as De Bruyne.

“They have great options all over the pitch as well. Jack Grealish has found his feet, so too has Julian Alvarez and the goals are already flowing again for Erling Haaland.

“The recruitment has been good with Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic, Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunes all quality signings so I think City clearly have the strongest squad in the competition.

“Real Madrid and Bayern will be in the mix and although it’s early in their development I can see Arsenal being in the knock-out stages too. But it’s hard to see past City if they continue the season the way they’ve started.”

City will be supremely confident of making a flying start to the competition, sitting in Group G alongside Red Star, RB Leipzig and Young Boys. Guardiola’s side have made a perfect start to the Premier League, winning all five games to sit top of the Premier League table.