'He is a nightmare!' - Carlo Ancelotti hails Pep Guardiola as Real Madrid boss prepares for crunch Champions League play-off against Man City

Ahead of Madrid's trip to City for the first leg of their Champions League play-off tie, manager Ancelotti has called Guardiola the best coach in the business and that his innovations have contributed so much to football.

He told reporters: "What I can say is that I think he [Guardiola] is a coach who has contributed a lot to football: possession, attacking play, pressing, and coming out from behind. He is an innovator in football and I have a lot of respect for him. He is one of the best, if not the best. Every time we face each other, it is a nightmare to prepare the matches, because he always has ideas that make you think."

This is a heavyweight clash between, arguably, two of the game's greatest managers and the two most recent Champions League winners. Madrid will be favourites to progress due to City's troubles this season but Ancelotti will be wary of what Guardiola could pull out of the hat for this one.

City host Madrid on Tuesday in the first play-off tie, before travelling to Spain for the return game the following Wednesday.