Joleon Lescott says Manchester City would favour drawing a bigger team in the Champions League knockout stages.
City signed off their group stage campaign in style on Wednesday, comfortably seeing off Marseille having already sealed top spot in the previous round of matches.
It means Pep Guardiola's side have a range of teams they can face when the draw for the round of 16 is made on Monday, with the likes of Borussia Monchengladbach, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid all finishing second.
Speaking on BT Sport, former City defender Lescott said drawing a bigger team may suit City's style of play when compared to playing smaller clubs, having been knocked out of the tournament at the hands of Lyon last season.
Lescott said: “I think the opposition team would be fearing City more than the other way around. Getting into the latter stages is key.
“I do think the bigger opposition they play, the bigger the opposition for them, the more opportunity they have and the better they look.
“I think if they play a lesser team, for some reason they come unstuck, but hopefully they’ll change that.”
Yet Lescott also praised the way Guardiola has managed to rid City of complacency since taking charge of the club in 2016.
Speaking after the victory over Marseille, Lescott said it was a perfect example of how City approach games - even when they are not at their fluent best.
He said: “Since Pep’s took charge, he’s eradicated any kind of complacency.
“We’ve seen moments when the high standards aren’t the same, but in terms of complacency and dominating the game, you see Manchester City dominate with their performances.”
