Giorginio Wijnaldum keen to avoid Man City in Champions League

Liverpool midfielder Giorginio Wijnaldum has admitted that he wouldn’t like to face Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

The five-time European champions and Pep Guardiola’s City are the only English sides left in Europe’s elite club competition after Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United crashed out in the their respective ties.

However, Wijnaldum has insisted that it is too early for the two English sides to face each other, with the quarter-final draw taking place on Friday.  

The Liverpool midfielder thinks it is too early for the English sides to meet in the competition

‘No, not now, I don’t want to play an English team now,’ Wijnaldum told ESPN FC. ‘To be fair, we played Manchester City two times and I think the first game we had a red card so that was a difficult game.

‘But the second game at home, it was a good game for us. I also think the supporters enjoyed it so even if we play Man City, I think we have two good games.’

Following Lionel Messi’s masterclass performance against Chelsea, Barcelona cemented themselves as the favourites to lift the Champions League trophy in May but Liverpool’s Dutch midfielder believes every team left in the competition has a fair chance. 

Lionel Messi’s masterclass performance over Chelsea cements Barcelona as the favourites

‘To be fair, they are all good teams,’ he said. ‘They have already shown that in the Champions League group stages that they are a good team so it doesn’t matter who we get, it’s going to be a difficult game.

‘It doesn’t matter basically, if you reach the final, who you’re playing.

‘I think every team now just wants to make the final and they don’t think about who they are going to play against.’