Pep Guardiola says the new Champions League format brings “incredible games” every week and Manchester City’s aim is to finish in the top eight.
City have four points from their opening two games and lie in eighth in the early table, two places above Tuesday night’s opponents Sparta Prague.
The new 36-team league format sees each team play eight games, with the top eight then qualifying directly to the last-16 knockout round.
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Teams who finish between ninth and 24th will play a knockout play-off round, something Guardiola is keen to avoid.
He said: “Every week there are incredible games.
“We have more than 30 teams [in this year’s Champions League] and only eight qualify [directly for the last 16], so I am pretty sure they will be top, top teams.
“The games we have at home we are going to have to close [out] otherwise it is going to be difficult to finish in the first eight. That is the target we want to achieve.”
City, who won the Champions League in 2023, finish the league with games against Sporting, Feyenoord, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Club Brugge.
Team news
Kevin de Bruyne and Kyle Walker remain sidelined for City, while forward Oscar Bobb is expected back in the new year. Rodri, of course, is out for the season.
“We would prefer to be all together because we have four important absences, right now with Kevin, Kyle, Rodri and Oscar,” said Guardiola.
“Two of them hopefully they come back soon. Oscar I think January or February will be ready. Rodri we miss a lot but I think all the clubs around the world have similar problems.”
