Riyad Mahrez is confident Manchester City can win the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.
Uefa is intent on the competition returning in August when domestic leagues have been completed following football’s suspension. Should that prove to be the case, City will resume a last-16 tie against Real Madrid leading 2-1 from the first leg at the Bernabéu.
In three previous Champions League attempts under Pep Guardiola, City have not progressed beyond the quarter-finals. The 2016 semi-final defeat by Real when City were managed by Manuel Pellegrini is their best performance.
“I think it is a good time to win the Champions League,” Mahrez said. “We have the team, we have the manager, we have everything, so it is a good time. I don’t know if we are the best but we are good enough to win it. The Champions League is difficult, everyone wants to win it, so it is going to be a big battle.”
Before the shutdown, City had lost only one of their past six league games, winning five. “We were good [then],” Mahrez said. “I wouldn’t say we were at our peak but it was good. It is going to take time to come back and be the way we were before but it is the same for every team.
“It was a bit long without football but we adapted and now we are back training. With the pandemic going on [training at home] is something we had to respect. Step by step we are getting fitter. I am excited. It was good to see my teammates and the coaches again.”