Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has revealed that his days of coming up against Real Madrid whilst at Barcelona helped him to become a better coach.

The Catalan admitted that Los Blancos' triumphs, particularly in the Champions League, deserve praise.

"They're a very strong team, in every way, and they have helped me be a better coach," Guardiola told DAZN.

"Both with Jose Mourinho, with [Manuel] Pellegrini, with all the coaches they've had.

"If they have done what they have done, winning three Champions Leagues in a row, to take two league titles away from Barcelona when Barcelona in this decade have dominated [LaLiga Santander] like nobody else... I'm so glad that things are going well for them."

Guardiola will come up against Zinedine Zidane in the dugout on August 7 when City host Real Madrid for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, and he only had fond words for the French coach.

"He's good for football, in good times and bad, and I'm glad," Guardiola noted.

"I'm really glad that things are going well for him because people like him are very good for football."

When asked about Zidane the player, Guardiola admitted that he would have liked to play alongside the former playmaker.

"I admire both versions, as a player and as a coach," he stated.

"Both of them. I think Zidane the player was... wow!

"How I would have liked to play with him.

"I had the misfortune of running into him with France."

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City lead Real Madrid 2-1 on aggregate and will fancy their chances of going all the way in the Champions League, but the Catalan made clear that he will push his team as much as he can.

"They ask you how you're going to feel when you're going to win something you haven't won," Guardiola explained.

"I don't know, I don't know how I'm going to feel.

"Honestly, I tried it the first year, and the second and the third and the fourth, and in the years to come.

"And if [my team] can play in it, I'm going to try and win it, like everybody else.

"But if I don't win it, will I have failed?

"Well, I will have failed, but the important thing is to try."

City lost out on the Premier League title to Liverpool by 18 points, with Guardiola stating that this side coached by Jurgen Klopp is the best he's ever faced.

"The toughest opponent I've faced in my career has been this Liverpool from the last year," he said.

"They've dominated all the records.

"When you let yourself be dominated and confined in your area, you don't get out.

"When you dominate them, they run into space like nobody else."

MARCA