"More difficult draw would not have been possible" - Bayern Munich's Leroy Sane highlights difficulties of facing Manchester City ahead of UCL tie

Leroy Sane believes that Bayern Munich were handed the toughest possible draw in the quarterfinals of the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League.

The Bundesliga giants are set to lock horns with Manchester City in the first leg of the knockout clash at the Etihad on Tuesday (April 11). The return leg is scheduled eight days later in Munich.

In an interview with SPORT1, Sane praised the "world class" Cityzens and stated that Bayern are well-equipped to compete with any team in Europe.

He said (via Twitter/iMiaSanMia):

"In my opinion, a more difficult draw would not have been possible at the moment. They're a world class team, they have outstanding qualities and they have a world-class coach who knows how to use those strengths."

He added:

"I think we have a very, very strong team and can compete with anyone in Europe. We've had a very convincing season so far, particularly in the Champions League, and now we want to build on that."

Bayern Munich recently made a change to their coaching team, with Thomas Tuchel replacing Julian Nagelsmann. Giving an insight into life under Tuchel, Sane compared him to Pep Guardiola, saying:

"So far, I've perceived him as a very communicative and highly motivated coach who wants to leave as little as possible to chance. In many areas, he also reminds me of working together with Pep. It's fun and I'm sure we'll be very successful with him."

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Bayern Munich star Leroy Sane looking forward to Manchester City reunion

Leroy Sane joined Bayern Munich from Manchester City in 2020 in a deal worth €45 million (£40.9 million) plus add-ons.

Sane joined Manchester City from Schalke in August 2016 and enjoyed a successful spell in England. He won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups. In all, he made 135 appearances for the Cityzens, scoring 39 goals and picking up 45 assists.

The German international is looking forward to facing Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League this season, as he still has "a few friends" in his old team. He said:

"I'm really looking forward to it. I had a wonderful time at City and still have a few friends in the team to this day. I lived in the same house with Ilkay Gündogan at the time. We're still very good friends. I also get along very well with John Stones and Kyle Walker.

"I'm looking forward to seeing all the familiar faces again and, of course, to the stadium and the fans."

Sane also fondly recalled his 2018 Premier League title, calling it his best experience with the Sky Blues.

"My best experience [at City] was probably the Premier League in 2018 – my first really big title in professional football. We set a Premier League record with 100 points, we were very strong and hungry for success."