Pep Guardiola claimed his Manchester City team were “alive” after they secured their place in the Champions League last 16 with a 1-0 victory over Olympiacos.

City have made a mixed start to their campaign in the Premier League but their European form has been impressive with four successive victories and progress assured with two Group C games to spare.

City mustered just one goal through Phil Foden in Piraeus but they created numerous other chances and were rarely threatened by the Greek champions.

Coach Pedro Martins said in a press conference: “We really fought. We had absences but we tried as hard as we could and gave everything.

“We also had a foul on (Mohamed) Drager that was not given prior to City’s goal. However, I am proud of our effort.”

Club owner Evangelos Marinakis criticised the lack of VAR intervention before Foden’s goal.

He said: “In the goal of Manchester a clear foul was made, an elbow to Drager. It is very easy for the referees to see it in the VAR and inform the referee if he has not seen it himself.

“It is not nice when the players give everything on the field and can get a good result but the refereeing is unfair to us once again.”