Pep Guardiola has called on his Manchester City players to embrace a special moment in their careers as they chase Champions League glory in Portugal.

City face Lyon in the quarter-finals of the reformatted competition at Sporting Lisbon’s Jose Alvalade Stadium on Saturday.

The mini-tournament for the last eight with all ties played over one leg – arranged due to the coronavirus pandemic – is more akin to an international event than the competition clubs are used to.

“I don’t expect that it will be one side for 90 minutes. There will be moments when we have to suffer.

“We have to be strong in our minds and try to do our plan. These games are about the mentality and the spirit and I think the players are ready to do it.”

City faced Lyon twice in last season’s group stage, losing at home and coming from behind twice to draw away.

Guardiola said: “Here is a tough team with a lot of good players. We have to be focused on ourselves, be prepared and fight until the end to try to win.”