"I didn't sleep much" - Bernardo Silva admits missed penalty against Real Madrid played on his mind
Manchester City's Bernardo Silva scored the winner in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea on Saturday, April 20. Still, before that, he missed his penalty against Real Madrid in the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League (UCL).
The UCL defending champions suffered heartbreak in the penalty shootout after the game was drawn at 4-4 aggregate. Silva was tasked with taking City's second penalty but hit the ball straight down the middle, with Los Blancos keeper Andriy Lunin saving it comfortably.
Speaking about the penalty, he said (via The Guardian):
"Emotionally, it’s our job, it’s football. Yeah, it was tough. First night I didn’t sleep much, the second night you sleep a bit better. The third night you sleep almost the whole night, but it is what it is. It’s football, it’s our profession, and we have to deal with those emotions."
The 29-year-old emphasized that he chose to strike his penalty down the centre of the goal as Lunin had moved early during the first penalty. The Portuguese also expressed gratitude for his teammates over their reaction following this missed penalty. Silva added:
"It’s like a family, like brothers, the way we support each other when someone misses. It’s unbelievable, andhthe guys were unbelievable with me this week."
Besides Silva, former Chelsea player Mateo Kovacic missed his penalty as well. In several videos that surfaced, former Blues defender Antonio Rudiger was seen telling Lunin where the Croatian was going to strike the ball. Rudiger then went on to score the winning penalty, helping Real Madrid inch closer to their 15th Champions League trophy.
Manchester City defeated Chelsea in the semi-final of the FA Cup, Silva scored the winner
While their dreams of a double treble have been shattered, the Cityzens are still vying for two domestic trophies. They are currently placed second on the Premier League table with 73 points. Arsenal are currently first but have played an extra game.
Should City win their remaining games, they'll yet again be crowned PL winners, for the fifth time in six years.
Furthermore, they entered the final of the FA Cup after eliminating Chelsea in the semi-final. The defending champions scored in the second half through Bernardo Silva. City will face the winner in the game between arch-rivals Manchester United and Coventry.
The FA Cup final will be played on May 25 at the Wembley Stadium. Manchester City return to Premier League action on April 25 in their game against Brighton and Hove Albion.