Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter by email with the day's key headlines and transfer news Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Former Liverpool and Manchester United forward Michael Owen says that Manchester City will win this season's Champions League.

City were given what is being seen as a hugely favourable outcome in Thursday's draw for the group stages, in which they were paired with Shahktar Donetsk, Dinamo Zagreb and Italian debutants Atalanta.

The draw will give the Premier League champions hope that they can rule Europe for the very first time in their history, with 2016's run to the semi-finals still their best ever performance in European competition.

And speaking before the draw, Owen - who correctly called Real Madrid as the winners in 2018 and Liverpool in 2019 before a ball had been kicked in the group stages - said he feels that Guardiola can guide his side to glory.

(Image: Serena Taylor)

"I think City, I think it's their time. They've been building towards it for a long, long time and it's certainly their priority," he told BT Sport.

"Of course, the Premier League and the Champions League are everybody's priority but City now are desperate for that. Liverpool are desperate for the Premier League, I think City are desperate for the Champions League.

"I just think that when you watch them now, they are a team that you struggle to see getting built. They've got experience with their manager, they've got more and more of it with their team. I just think it's their season.

(Image: Shaun Botterill)

"Winning the league like has done, he will certainly go away woth a huge amount of credit no matter what. The team that we watch every single week will be his legacy. That team is just one of the best we've seen, all those records.

"I don't think it will be a failure if he doesn't win it. However, imagine how he would walk away if he did. He'd go down as one of the greats.

(Image: Denis Murphy/TGS Photo/REX)

"I compare them a little way with Paris Saint-Germain over the years, I've never, ever fancied them to win this competition for the last five or so years just because of their style of play. You can't go at it too gung-ho.

"I think City are improving in that way. I think they can keep clean sheets and the ease in which they score goals is just devastating."