Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho is full of praise for Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa.

The Brazilian has faced the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo during an illustrious career but says the notoriously tricky former Chelsea striker was the toughest to get the better of.

But Fernandinho clearly maintained some respect for the Spaniard, who left Chelsea to return to Atletico Madrid in 2017.

"The most difficult players I've faced are Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe - all of them are so good and they cause a lot of problems to defenders," he told former Manchester United player Kleberson in a Q&A session.

"But for me, one of the most difficult guys I've faced was Diego Costa when he was at Chelsea. He was in good shape. I hope I can face them again."