Bernardo Silva ignoring favourites tag as Man City prepare for Lyon in ‘unpredictable’ Champions League
French side drew with and beat City in last season’s group stage
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Bernardo Silva has warned that Lyon should not be overlooked in Saturday’s Champions League quarter-final, despite Manchester City‘s billing as favourites in the tie.
Lyon progressed to the final eight of the competition last week when their 2-1 defeat at Juventus secured an away-goals victory with the aggregate score 2-2.
And Man City know first-hand the quality that the Ligue 1 side possess, with Pep Guardiola’s team having been beaten 2-1 by Lyon in the group stage last season before drawing 2-2 later in the round.
“I know Lyon very well, having played for three years in Ligue 1 where I played many times against them,” Silva told Man City’s official club website.
“Also here at Manchester City we faced them last season and it wasn’t easy. We didn’t manage to beat them in either of the two games. That shows how difficult a team they are.
“Not only Lyon, but all the French teams are very physical, very strong and in just one game, it’s unpredictable. It’s going to be very difficult. We are going to try to prepare ourselves the best way we can, but we know it’s not going to be easy.
“They knocked Juventus out of the competition and it’s not going to be an easy task for us. It’s going to be a completely different game than Real Madrid, because they both play different ways and with a different style of players.”
City are not only favourites against Lyon but arguably to win the entire competition, having eliminated Real Madrid 4-2 on aggregate after two 2-1 wins in the last 16, the most recent coming at the Etihad on Friday. But as the tournament moves to Lisbon, Portugal and into a single-leg format, the dynamic will change, Silva said.
“Anything can happen,” Silva said. “Juventus were knocked out by Lyon. We have seen lots of surprises in the competition over the last years.
“We lost against Tottenham last year in the quarter-finals. It’s very difficult to predict the games and the results in this competition. The fact that Liverpool are out, Real Madrid are out, it’s not going to make our path easier. That would be a wrong thought.
“We need to go game by game, be very focused, knowing that every game is going to be very tough. All the teams in Lisbon are here because they deserve it. We need to be at our best level to win the games and try to reach the final.”
The Champions League is the last major honour evading City, which makes the clash against Lyon and any subsequent games in the competition – should the Premier League side beat their French opponents on Saturday – especially important. There is also a personal significance to Silva, who is from Lisbon.
“The Champions League is the only competition we still haven’t won at this club; Manchester City has never won this competition, most of our players haven’t won it yet, including me,” Silva said. “Of course, winning this competition has always been a target for the players and the club. It will be very special to win it – for me, even more so because it’s my city and it’s an extra motivation to fight for the trophy here.
“It would definitely be special to win the Champions League in Lisbon. We play every competition to win, we try to give our best in every competition. This one is the only one we haven’t won at City, there is an extra motivation to give our best and try to go as far as possible.
“It’s a goal for the club, the fans, the staff, everyone. If we could do it this year, it would be a proud moment and we would include our names in the history of the club.”
And Guardiola is the perfect man to lead City to a historic Champions League title, in Silva’s opinion.
“I think there is no secret: Pep Guardiola is one of the best managers in the world,” the Portugal midfielder said.
“To me, it’s been a privilege and a pleasure to work under his tutelage every day for the last three years.
“I have learnt a lot with him, I had to adapt to his style of play, but it’s been an absolute pleasure. The number of trophies we won in the last three seasons shows how successful it has been during his time here. I’m very proud to be part of his team.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments