Pep Guardiola aiming high with Man City in 'beautiful' Champions League

Pep Guardiola has stressed the importance of the Champions League for Manchester City, and is hoping his new club will enjoy a long run in Europe's elite club competition.

City, who reached the semi-final of the competition under Manuel Pellegrini last season, will play their first European match of the campaign on Tuesday as they take on Steaua Bucharest in the first leg of a play-off tie in Romania.

Guardiola, who joined City from Bayern Munich ahead of the 2016/2017 season, won the Champions League twice during his time as manager of Barcelona.

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"I enjoy my job preparing the games, seeing what is going to happen and anticipating what the players are going to find during the game, and trying to find solutions," said Guardiola. "That is my job.

"I saw enough games about Steaua. I have a lot of respect about how they play and we are going to try to score goals because in the Champions League scoring goals away is so, so important. But you know you have one more game next week in Manchester.

"Of course it is also convincing the players how important it is to play in the Champions League, how beautiful it is to play during the season in Europe. We are going to try to do that."

City will be without midfielder Yaya Toure after the Ivory Coast international was not included in the travelling squad.

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It will be the second successive game the 33-year-old has missed after Guardiola omitted him from his matchday squad for Saturday's win over Sunderland.

It also remains to be seen whether Joe Hart is restored in goal after Guardiola preferred Willy Caballero for the Premier League opener.

Guardiola added: "Since I am manager of Manchester City, from the time we were together with Joe, it was perfect - his behaviour, his training sessions, on the pitch, off the pitch. He is a big professional."