Sergio Aguero Names Teams to Avoid in 2016 Champions League Quarter-Final Draw

Sergio Aguero is keen for Manchester City to avoid drawing either Bayern Munich or Barcelona when the Champions League quarter-final ties are decided on Friday in Nyon, Switzerland.

City confirmed their spot in the last eight of the Champions League for the first time ever after Tuesday's 0-0 home draw with Dynamo Kiev handed them a 3-1 aggregate win in the round of 16. 

Unlike for the last 16, Friday's draw has no restrictions, meaning City could be paired with any of the seven remaining teams, and Aguero named German giants Bayern and defending champions Barca as the sides to be avoided, per Jamie Jackson in the Guardian:

"

You always want to go far, and to do that you have to face the best. Obviously Barca and Bayern [Munich] are there, who are the two best by form, and obviously if we can avoid them all the better, but at some point we will have to face them.

We are all here for this, to fight at the top and we are happy to get through. The thing is for the last two years we have had to play against Barcelona and they are a very tough opponent, they are always favourites to win the Champions League. It’s difficult but we are happy to fulfil our goals.

"

The Argentine is being slightly premature as neither Bayern nor Barcelona have yet confirmed their places in the Champions League's last eight, with the second legs of their respective last-16 clashes taking place on Wednesday.

Barca have a 2-0 lead to protect at home from their first leg against Arsenal, and it would be a huge shock were Luis Enrique's side not to proceed to the quarter-finals.

Bayern, however, face a tricky test at the Allianz Arena against last year's runners-up, Juventus, with the Serie A side having come back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 in the opening leg.

In all likelihood, though, Barca and Bayern will both advance to the last eight, and City will indeed have a better chance of making the semi-finals if they avoid drawing them on Friday.

The Champions League relayed the teams that will be involved in the draw:

Ideally for City, they would also avoid Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, as if the Sky Blues are paired with Wolfsburg or Benfica they will have a better chance of making the semis. 

The Premier League title is now effectively out of reach for City—they are 12 points back from leaders Leicester City—not least because of Aguero's struggles in front of goal away from home, per Bleacher Report's Dean Jones:

The 27-year-old has also not been hugely clinical in European competition this season, netting only twice in 346 minutes of Champions League football, per WhoScored.com.

However, a favourable draw on Friday and City will fancy themselves to make the last four and perhaps even go all the way in the Champions League.

They have the talent in their squad—not least Aguero—to trouble the other sides remaining in the tournament and should definitely be targeting more than just a quarter-final berth.

City have arguably under-performed in Europe's premier club competition in recent seasons, falling at the first knockout hurdle in 2014 and 2015 having not got past the group stages before that.

Now that they have made a quarter-final City have a great opportunity to make a splash in the Champions League, especially given that it will be their primary concern in the season's latter stages with the Premier League all but gone.