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Manchester City will not be favourites to win their Champions League group after they drew Spanish champions Barcelona, according to the club's director of football Txiki Begiristain. Pep Guardiola will return to the Nou Camp with his new club after they were both drawn out in Group C along with Scottish champions Celtic and German club Borussia Monchengladbach. Begiristain, who along with Guardiola played for Barca, admitted it won't be easy for City to progress to the last-16 knockout stage but said they have to face the best sides if they are to have any hopes of winning the competition. "It's not a nightmare draw at all because we are in a wonderful competition and we are really happy to be here, but in Barcelona, Borussia Monchengladbach and Celtic we know it won't be easy," he told BT Sport. "We reached the semifinal last season and we want to go far in the Champions League again. It is a very difficult competition to win -- for everybody -- and you need luck along the way, but we are ready and always trying to improve "Both games against Borussia Monchengladbach were tough last year, even though we won them both. They are a very strong side and it's going to be hard again." Asked if he had received a text message from Guardiola, Begiristain joked: "No, not yet -- but it's going to come, don't worry. "It's good for Pep because he knows Borussia very well from his time at Bayern and Barcelona as well so we will see. "He had been back to Barca before with Bayern Munich so it's not the first time he's been returned to the Camp Nou -- Barcelona will start as favourites for the group but that is nothing new -- they are a fantastic side." Begiristain is also excited about a potential "Battle of Britain" contest after City landed Brendan Rodgers' Celtic. The Scottish side currently have City winger Patrick Roberts on loan and the exciting England under-21 star will be eligible to play against his parent club. Begiristain added: "Celtic will be hard as well -- I love watching Celtic play Rangers and games like that and they are friends of ours so as I say, it's an amazing group." Asked whether Roberts would play, he added: "Yes, why not? Our target is to make him a better play and play in games such as this so we will see."
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