Yaya Touré: Man City must make progress in Champions League

Yaya Touré admits it is “very important” that Manchester City reach the latter stages of the Champions League this season.

Roberto Mancini’s men faltered in the group stage in the last campaign, as Bundesliga outfit Bayern Munich and Napoli finished ahead of the Premier League champions.

Touré, who won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2009, is confident City have a strong enough squad to progress into the second round – if not further.

“That [the Champions League] is very important,” Touré said. “We want to take this team as far as it can go, so in the Champions League it means making sure we reach that second round.

“I had two seasons at Barcelona. In the first one I went to the semi-final. In the second we won it against United. Hopefully that experience will help.

“We have a lot of confidence. We have a fantastic squad, with a fantastic manager. I am sure we can go a long way.”

The Ivory Coast international, who scored in City’s 3-2 victory over Chelsea in the Community Shield, is also impressed by the Eastlands outfit’s attacking options for the new season.

Carlos Tévez is fully fit, while Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko will all be available for selection as Mancini’s side look to retain their crown.

“We have some fantastic strikers,” added the midfielder. “They are so sharp and clever. We put Carlos and Aguero there against Chelsea but it could have been Dzeko or Mario.

“The most important thing is that no matter what team the boss picks, it plays well.”

Open a bet365 account with £10 or more and you'll get a free bet of up to £200 on us. Click here for more information.

Like The Sport Review on Facebook:

Read more on: carlos tevez, Champions League, Manchester City, Roberto Mancini, yaya toure.