Vincent Kompany knows Manchester City have a bit of work to do if they want to bridge the gap with the top European clubs.
City were knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona on Wednesday and although the scoreline was only 1-0, the manner in which the reigning Premier League champions were defeated suggests they are a fair way off the pace.
Kompany is aware of this and has emphasized the need to lift their game to a higher level in order to compete on the continent.
"There is a big, big difference. I will mention Bayern Munich and Barcelona, and then there are the rest. Real Madrid are probably in between. It is the co-ordination and the tempo of their play," the City skipper said.
"Ultimately we have always said our goal is to become as good as them, but it will take some time.
"You can win the Premier League, beat the Arsenals and Chelseas and so on, but between those teams and Barca, Bayern and Real there is still a huge gap.
"Whether it is us, Arsenal, Chelsea, or Manchester United, the gap will become closer. I just hope it is us that gets there the first."
