Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain has warned that the Sky Blues’ upcoming Round of 16 opponents in the Champions League, Schalke, will be a tricky test for the Premier League outfit.
Pep Guardiola’s side finished Group F with 13 points from six games while Schalke picked up 11 points from their group that comprised of FC Porto, Galatasaray and Lokomotiv Moscow.
Schalke have struggled domestically this season after finishing second in the Bundesliga in the 2017/18 season, but their performances in Europe have been sturdier.
The Germans will have a winter break ahead of the clash against Manchester City and Begiristain believes the competition will get harder in the knockout stages as teams have everything to play for.
“The competition is getting hard. There are big draws and big games coming”, Begiristain told Manchester City’s official website.
“Teams that are struggling in their league have done very well in the Champions League."
And the Manchester City official thinks that Schalke especially need to be treated with care.
"Schalke will be difficult. After a winter break, German clubs are always very dangerous."
Manchester City boss Guardiola is under pressure to lead his side to success in the Champions League, while he must also see off a challenge from Liverpool in the Premier League.
