Barcelona defender Daniel Alves has criticised Manchester City for spending big money to sign players, and insists that they will never have same "class" as the Spanish giants.

The two teams will face each other in the last 16 of the Champions League this season, with the first leg due to be played at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.

"City have good players – but they will never be Barcelona," the Sunday People quotes the Brazilian right-back as saying.

"They are a modern football club built on big transfer fees – but at Barcelona there is a history and class that dates back a long way.

"So much of Barcelona's success is because of players who have come through the club's youth system, La Masia, and I think ideally that is what every football club wants to achieve."

However, Alves has admitted that winning against City over two legs for a place in the quarter-finals of Europe's premier club competition will not be easy.

"We know we have a big test coming up against Manchester City – and we expect two very tough games," said the 30-year-old.

"They have very good international players in every position – and we will need to play well if we are to progress in a competition that means so much to everybody at Barcelona.

"They are not easy to beat in Manchester – but not one Barcelona player will be thinking about getting a draw. We will play to win."

Alves, who joined Barcelona from Sevilla in the summer of 2008, has won La Liga four times and the Champions League twice with the Catalan outfit.