Manchester City coach Roberto Mancini says his side have a long way to go to be considered Champions League contenders after a second successive group-phase exit.
City were held 1-1 by Real Madrid on Wednesday, with Sergio Aguero cancelling out Karim Benzema’s opener from the penalty spot in the second half after Alvaro Arbeloa had been shown a second yellow card for fouling him.
The result sent Madrid into the last 16 at the expense of City, who also fell at the group stage last season on their competition debut.
City currently lead the Premier League, having pipped Manchester United to the title last season, but Mancini says they are not yet major players on the continental scene.
“This is for us the second time to play in the Champions League and to win the Champions League, maybe you need to go first in the first stage,” he said.
“In February [in the last 16], everything can change. After five, six months, you can improve. Maybe you can win the Champions League. But I think that there are five, six teams better than us.”