Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm has insisted Manchester City's "quality is undeniable" and are making good progress under his former boss Pep Guardiola.
Lahm, who turned 33 last Friday, won three straight Bundesliga titles and two domestic Doubles under Guardiola, but Bayern failed to win the Champions League with the Catalan in charge, losing three successive semifinals to Spanish opposition.
Guardiola moved to City in the summer after the expiry of his three-year contract with the German champions, being succeeded in Bavaria by Carlo Ancelotti.
"City have already developed well in a short time," Lahm told Bayern TV.