Ilkay Gundogan: 'Something Missing' at Manchester City Until They Win UCL

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan believes the club can only truly cement themselves as an elite side by winning the UEFA Champions League. 

The German spoke ahead of City's clash with Real Madrid in the last 16 of the competition on Wednesday.

Per Goal's Jonathan Smith, he said:

"The Champions League is maybe the most prestigious competition in the game, and if you don't win it, as much as we are a great team, you feel like there's always something missing.

"Obviously, we try to do our best, but it's not something that you can talk about and then it comes. It’s something you have to try to achieve."

City have been one of the dominant forces in English football over the last decade, in which they've won four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and four League Cups.

Last season, they won all three as part of an unprecedented domestic treble in men's English football.

However, European success has continued to elude them. They've reached just one Champions League semi-final, even after bringing in Pep Guardiola, who has won the competition twice, as manager.

This season could be their last experience of Champions League football for some time after UEFA hit them with a two-year ban from European football for breaching financial fair play regulations.

Guardiola has been quick to reassure fans and players of his intention to remain at the Etihad Stadium despite the ban, though:

The coach believes City's lack of historical success in Europe has made it more difficult for them to compete with the likes of Madrid and other giants.

City's only European trophy is the Cup Winners' Cup they won in 1970—a far cry from Real's 13 Champions League titles and two UEFA Cups.

However, they've qualified for the tournament every season since the 2010-11 campaign, so the club should have plenty of experience by now.

Gundogan believes a statement result against a side like Real could help them resolve the issue:

"It's so difficult to explain it—I think we need a big game that we win. And to get through thinking 'this was so hard today,' where we need to struggle as well. We have to overcome difficulties, something like that is needed."

City should fancy their chances of getting a result at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.

Real have failed to win three of their last four matches in all competitions, having lost to Real Sociedad and Levante and been held to a draw by Celta Vigo. In the Champions League group stage, they drew two of their home matches, one of which was against a Club Brugge side who finished the match with 10 men.

What's more, Los Blancos will be without Eden Hazard for both legs after he was diagnosed with a fractured ankle on Sunday.