Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi has stressed the importance of not conceding during their Champions League Last 16 first leg tie against Monaco on Tuesday.

Pep Guardiola’s side are set to take on the Ligue 1 side in their Champions League Last 16 first leg at the Etihad Stadium.

The Argentine international has urged his side to be cautious against the threat Monaco possesses and also not to concede any goals at home during the first leg encounter.

‘It’s always important to win and not concede when you play at home,’ Otamendi told the Manchester City website.

‘Monaco plays good football – they care about the ball and how they use it. They have many important players, who we have to be cautious about because they will hurt us.’

Otamendi says the Blues will need to contain the Monaco’s in-form Radamel Falcao, who has already scored 22 goals from 27 appearances in all competition this season.

‘He is a top player and very skilful inside the box. We were team-mates at Porto and we’ve faced each other when I’ve played against Colombia for Argentina,’ He added.

‘As a defender, you always have to be cautious when you play against him. Returning to Monaco was good for him and he’s scored 22 goals in 27 games, so he’s found his form again.’

Manchester City will now play host to Monaco in their Champions League Last 16 encounter at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.

Kick-off has been scheduled for 21:45.