Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan admits they're yet to make their mark in the Champions League.

City have not progressed beyond the last eight since Gundogan joined the club and their best performance in the competition to date remains their run to the semi-final in 2016.

Their 2019-20 campaign resumes with a blockbuster last-16 tie against Real Madrid, with the first leg taking place at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night.

“It's so difficult to explain it (City's struggles in Europe) - I think we need we need a big game that we win," Gundogan, 29, told Goal. “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.

“That's why I think you learn from games like away in Atalanta - having one man down and Kyle Walker as a goalkeeper - or at home against Shakhtar and you struggle and it's not a great performance and you just draw. These kind of games are also important.

“You cannot just win every single game by three, four or five goals and then when you come into the last 16 playing a good team, 1-0 down, expect to turn it around easily. It's not always like that. I think struggles are part of our profession. And it's always about overcoming these kind of moments."