City can't buy success - Alonso

Cape Town – Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi Alonso says that it is impossible for Manchester City to buy success.

According to the Daily Mirror, Alonso said City will have to do things “properly and normally in football" as they search to break their European hoodoo.

“Football is not about mathematics,” said Alonso.

“There is not a pre-determined formula, that when you are earning more you are winning more.

“You can try to buy success, but there are big surprises in football. And as well as that, you’ve got to do things properly and normally in football. If you do things properly, you will have success. What happened that year with Liverpool was a really a great surprise.

However Alonso does not shy away from saying that City are edging closer every year as he sees their improvement.

“It’s hard to tell from the outside. You expect that City will make an impact in Europe but so far they haven’t done it.

“But I’m pretty sure they’re not far away from being a big team in Europe, because season by season they are trying to improve.”

City has to win both of their final group stage matches in order to have a chance at qualifying for the knockout stages.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side are set to face Bayern at the Ethihad Stadium which could prove beneficial as they search for that all important three points.

Kick-off is at 21:45.