The Blues will travel to Germany for the first leg (dates to be confirmed) and Schalke will be the second Bundesliga side Pep’s side have faced in the competition this season having beaten Hoffenheim twice in the group stage.
“It’s always the same at this stage,” said Txiki. “Things get even harder from here on
READ: City draw Schalke: Full details
“You can see from the draw there are a lot of big games coming. You can see Juventus v Atletico is going to be an unbelievable game.
“Teams that have been struggling in their leagues have still they’ve done very well in Champions League.
“Schalke will be difficult. After a winter break, German clubs are always very dangerous.
“It is always important to finish top of your group because you have the advantage to play the second leg at home.
“German clubs are always very strong. They are box-to-box and energetic.”
Asked if the Blues could go far in this year’s competition, Txiki added: “First, we must beat Schalke and then in the next round, again, I hope.
“Our aim is to always try and win the Premier League - this is always very important, but it is a dream for a club like City to go through.
“We’ve been to the semi-finals once, so we have been close.
“We have been winning the Premier League, now we can try to win the Champions League.”
