Bayern Munich playmaker Thiago Alcantara has been thoroughly impressed by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City this season but admits he prefers watching his old teammate Lionel Messi rather than his former boss’s side.

Thiago made his debut at Barcelona under the Catalan coach before joining him in Munich. And watching from afar, the 26-year-old has been amazed by City’s progression under Guardiola with the runaway Premier League leaders storming into the Champions League last-eight with a 5-2 aggregate win over Basel.

“City are playing amazingly,” Thiago told ESPN. “But I don’t think ‘wow.’ [Only] Messi makes me go ‘wow.'”

Bayern are virtually through to the last-eight themselves, carrying a five-goal advantage heading into next week’s second-leg clash with Besiktas.

They have not won the tournament since 2013 but have reached the semi-finals three times in the last four editions.

Thiago, who recently returned from injury after a muscle tear kept him out of action from November, believes his team will be competing at the top end of the tournament once more.

“Barcelona, Real Madrid, City: There are many teams you’d want to play against,” he said.

“But no team has impressed me. They are football players, like us. We just have to compete and see who is better at that moment.”