Barcelona fullback Dani Alves has backed Manchester City to win their first Champions League this season.

Alves, who won two European Cups with Barca under the management of Pep Guardiola, believes his former manager will go all the way with the Citizens and lift the trophy next month.

“I think so, and they are my candidates for the title. They are the team that has the best concept and the clearest concept of how to play and compete and how to do things. I’m a fan of Pep; whatever he does, I’ll be applauding.”

The Citizens head into the second leg of their quarter-final tie against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday evening with a slender one-goal advantage.

With Diego Simeone’s side needing a goal, though, it could make things easier for City. After the La Liga champions effectively played a 5-5-0 system at the Etihad, they will have to be a bit more expansive to overturn the deficit, and that could leave space on the counter-attack.

Of course, even if City make it through, they will still have a difficult road to Paris, with either Real Madrid or Chelsea in the semi-final, and the potential of facing Bayern Munich or even Liverpool in the final.