Manchester City can rival Real Madrid and Barcelona for Champions League, claims Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri

The Napoli manager, Maurizio Sarri, said that if Manchester City continue to play the dazzling way they performed in the opening 25 minutes against his side tonight, they have as much chance of winning the Champions League as Barcelona or Real Madrid.

Although the Serie A leaders fought back from a two-goal deficit and might have drawn had Ederson not saved the first of two penalties Napoli were awarded, Sarri felt the opening half hour should represent a warning to the rest of Europe.

“It is a great team,” Sarri said of Manchester City. “It has everything. They are very quick, they are tactically very savvy and, if they stay in the kind of good mental and physical shape they are now, they really could go all the way.”

It may have been a narrow 2-1 scoreline but Pep Guardiola felt that overcoming Napoli represented one of his best results as manager of Manchester City. Guardiola felt strongly enough to dedicate his 10th straight win of the season to the cause of Catalan independence.

Guardiola was angered by the arrest of Jordi Sanchez, the president of the Catalan Assembly and Jordi Cuixart, the president of the separatist movement Omnium Cultural. They were charged with sedition. “This win is dedicated to them,” Guardiola said.

“We have shown in Catalonia that citizenship is bigger than any ideas and we hope they will be released soon.” However, although by conceding two penalties, Manchester City almost tossed away a two-goal lead, Guardiola said the performance had to be judged against the quality of the opposition at the Etihad Stadium.

“We had to beat an incredible team. To do it we had to make an incredible performance,” said Guardiola.

“That is why I am so proud. They are one of the best teams I have ever faced. It is impossible to beat Napoli if you do not put in a good performance.”