Pep Guardiola says he’s thrilled to be alive in the Champions League as City get set to face Bayern Munich in the quarter-final first leg.

Guardiola is relishing the opportunity to take on Bayern on Tuesday at the Etihad Stadium, with the second leg the following Wednesday at the Allianz Arena.

Guardiola is eyeing progress to the last four as City aim to take a step closer to our first victory in the elite European competition.

The boss says competing in the latter stages at this point in the season is his dream as he spoke philosophically about winning and losing in sport at the highest level.

Facing the media in his pre-match press conference at the CFA, he said: “It’s an honour to be here against an elite club like Bayern Munich. I am happy to be here.

“It’s not for granted. You have to deserve it. You have to play good and try to do [well in] the first [leg] tomorrow.

“We tried last season. We tried two seasons ago. We tried three seasons ago. Every single season. But there are teams that you face that are also good, too. They want to win it too.

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“My ambition is to be here again, that’s my dream, to live it again and be here in a Champions League competition.

“We want to try like we try all the time but it doesn’t mean we win.

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“Jack Nicklaus, how many majors did he win in his 30 or 40 years as a golfer? Four a year, so 120. How many did he win, 18? Wow! He loses more than he wins. That’s sport. In football, basketball.

“Michael Jordan has six NBA titles in 16 seasons, he loses more than he wins.

“So these games are so difficult.

“What’s important is to be here - to compete well and do our best. 

“I live my profession in that way and if I lose, I lose. 

GUARDIOLA ON TUCHEL

“I’m not perfect, but it’s important we’re still there.

“I say many times, my biggest compliment, as a team and as an organisation, is that we’re still there.”

City head into Tuesday’s exciting encounter having won eight in a row in all competitions as we look to make it nine tomorrow in front of an excited Etihad crowd.

But Guardiola stresses that past form counts for little in such a big tie.

It’s all about how you perform in the moment over the 90+ minutes that matters.

He added: “This competition isn’t about how good your form is in Premier League or FA Cup, it’s how you perform during the 90, 95 minutes.

“It doesn’t count what you have done three days ago.

“In this competition you have to be perfect there. The question is tomorrow, we [need to] be ready.”