- Man City fell to Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals
- Two sides have been regular opponents in Europe over the past five years
- Silva explains why Madrid are so tough to beat
Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva has admitted Real Madrid are a “weird” team to face because of their ability to thrive on the counter.
Madrid achieved a 3-3 draw in the first leg of this season’s quarterfinals, and then advanced on penalties in the reverse game. The two teams have been frequent opponents in Europe over the last five years, and they squared off for the third time in this season’s quarterfinals.
Despite the fact that City had well over sixty percent of possession in both legs of this season and forty-five shots on goal between the two matches, Madrid was able to soak up the pressure and punish Pep Guardiola’s team on the break.
“Real Madrid are a strange team,” Silva said in an interview with TNT Sports. “There are moments when it looks as if you have control of the game, and then out of nowhere, they run twice [on the counter] and score two goals because their players individually are extremely talented. As a result of their speed and strength during the counterattack, it is difficult to maintain control over them.
“They will seek refuge on the counter if you assault with an excessive number of players. It gives the impression that you are not powerful enough to assault them in the appropriate manner if you do not attack with a large number of people. Therefore, it is challenging to make judgments of this kind when playing the game.
Silva will enter the last two years of his contract this summer, and it has been rumored that Barcelona is interested in signing him. There have even been rumors that Madrid might attempt to get him before their rivals in the Clasico competition.
The contract of the Portugal international player has a release clause that is worth fifty million pounds and will become active this summer. However, in spite of this, the amount may still be excessive for Barcelona, which is now concentrating on balancing the books rather than making summer moves.
In the past, Guardiola has made it very clear that he would not obstruct any player who wants to leave City, provided that the club receives a reasonable offer for their services. Silva’s contract currently includes a release clause, which means that a deal for the 29-year-old player may be quite straightforward to carry out.