Former Barcelona striker David Villa lauded Pep Guardiola as "one of the greatest coaches in the history of football," and backed Manchester City to win the Champions League.
Villa, 34, won multiple titles including the Champions League and La Liga during his four-year stint -- 2010 to 2013 -- at Barcelona now plies his trade in Major League Soccer with the New York City FC.
Despite playing away from Europe, Villa follows his former manager's progress earnestly and is confident that Guardiola will bring Champions League glory to City, even as soon as this season.
"Guardiola is one of the greatest coaches in the history of football and I feel proud to have worked with him," Villa told Sky Sports.
"His style is to have the ball, try to be offensive and attack, and when you lose the ball you have to recover it as soon as possible.
"I think City will be among the candidates to win the Champions League. They have been one of the top teams and now even more so with Guardiola in charge.
"They have been playing great football during the early stages of the tournament and I am sure they will have a chance to become champions with Pep."
City defeated Barcelona 3-1 in the last group game on Nov. 1 and are on the verge of the knockout stages from Group C.