Sergio Aguero is predicting one of the most competitive Champions League ties in recent years as Manchester City meet Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals.
City signed Aguero from Atletico in 2011, but the sides will meet competitively for the first time next month as they face off for a place in the Champions League semi-finals.
Understandably, Aguero isn't risking the wrath of one of his former clubs by predicting a winner of the tie, but he did express hope that City would get to the final in Paris later in the competition and said he expects the tie to be one of the most competitive ever seen in the Champions League.
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"City have a team that has been very consistent throughout the last few seasons and they always create a lot of chances going forward," he told Stake.
"Last season we were really close and hopefully this year we'll get to final. But first, City have got to face [Diego] Simeone's squad, they're on the rise and able to put up a good fight. We all know the determination that Atletico have, and the great support from their fans will make things difficult.
"It'll be a tie where each team will try to impose their style and whoever makes that happen will make it through to the semi-finals. It'll be one of the most competitive Champions League ties in the last few years.
"All of the Champions League quarter-finals will be very close matches. These are the eight best teams in Europe and anything can happen. You could have guessed from the start that these eight teams will have been the ones in the quarter-finals, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Benfica, Atletico Madrid and Villarreal."
Warning City not to be complacent at any point in the tie, Aguero pointed them towards Paris Saint-Germain's exit against Real Madrid when they threw away a 2-0 lead in the second leg.
He continued: "There are no easy matches in the Champions League and even less so in these knockout ties. All the teams are heavy-hitters and from now on, every game will be played with the importance of a final. Every team needs to focus through the whole 180 minutes and avoid any mistakes to make it through to the next round.
"There are plenty of examples to draw from, like when PSG played Real Madrid, PSG dominated for most of the time in both legs, but lost it in the last few minutes and were knocked out.
"All the teams are full of brilliant players that know how to turn things around in very short period of time and that makes a lot of the ties even matches, so it’s just too hard to call who is going to be able to progress."
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