LONDON – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has warned his players not to be complacent as they prepare to host FC Copenhagen in the Champions League last-16, second leg on March 6, after a 3-1 victory three weeks ago.

City head into the match on a 19-game unbeaten run in all competitions, and they clinched their 17th win in this streak by beating rivals Manchester United 3-1 at the Etihad on March 3.

With 11 English Premier League matches left, Guardiola’s men are second and only one point behind leaders Liverpool, whom they face after the Copenhagen game in what would be a thrilling battle at Anfield on March 10.

But first, City, who are chasing a second straight treble, must get the job done against Copenhagen and advance to the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the seventh consecutive season.

“It’s better to be here having already won the Champions League (last season) but like I said it’s (the treble season) is over,” insisted Guardiola, who also won the Champions League twice as Barcelona manager, in 2009 and 2011, said on March 5.

“Once we are here we have to win games and tomorrow we have the chance to be in the quarter-finals again and this is the target. Other than that I don’t think too much.

“We have respect for Copenhagen. In football, anything can happen.”

City are huge favourites for this clash and are doing well in their European title defence after winning all six of their group games before beating Copenhagen in the first leg. They have faced their Danish opponents five times before and have not lost, with three wins and two draws.

Another victory would also mean that they would become just the third team in Champions League history to clinch 10 consecutive wins in the competition – after Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

But Guardiola, who will be without the injured Jack Grealish, again is taking nothing for granted.

“They defend, they have a good system,” he said. “The Champions League is the Champions League and our aim now is to be in the best eight teams.”

Copenhagen, meanwhile, would retain hope of a turnaround and score at least two goals without reply at the Etihad – although they lost 5-0 the last time they were there in October 2022.

They responded well to the first-leg defeat by winning back-to-back Danish Superliga games over Silkeborg and Nordsjaelland without conceding a goal.

However, they suffered a blow on March 1 when they lost 2-0 to leaders Midtjylland and are now three points behind in the title race.

Copenhagen have never beaten an English team away from home in European competition, drawing two and losing five of their previous seven attempts.

They have also not won a Champions League away match since December 2016.

They will be without the injured Lukas Lerager, Theo Sander, Davit Khocholava and Viktor Claesson.

Emil Hojlund, the brother of the more famous United striker Rasmus, is doubtful and will take a late fitness test.

Copenhagen coach Jacob Neestrup admitted after the first-leg loss that City were “a level or two above the opponents we faced in the group”, and now his side have a mountain to climb.