“There’s not one other player who can do that” - Pep Guardiola lauds ‘fu***ng intuitive’ Manchester City superstar after 7-0 Leipzig rout
Pep Guardiola hailed midfielder Bernardo Silva following Manchester City's 7-0 hammering of RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday (March 14).
Striker Erling Haaland scored five goals as the Cityzens saw off the German side at the Etihad in the second leg of their Round of 16 clash. They progressed to the quarterfinals, winning 9-2 on aggregate.
After the game, City manager Guardiola was all praise for Silva, who put in an excellent performance despite not registering a goal or an assist. He completed his single dribble attempt and made two key passes and two interceptions.
Speaking about the Portuguese ace, Guardiola said:
"Bernardo is f**king intuitive. Bernardo has the ability to press three players in two minutes, there is not one player who can do that. Not one."
Silva has been an important player for Manchester City since joining the club from AS Monaco in 2017. He has scored 52 goals and provided 56 assists in 290 games for the club.
Known for his tenacious pressing and sublime ability on the ball, Silva has helped City win four Premier League titles, among other honors.
Pep Guardiola on importance of clean sheet in Manchester City's win over RB Leipzig
While Manchester City scored seven goals against RB Leipzig without reply on Tuesday, Pep Guardiola didn't miss out on highlighting the importance of keeping a clean sheet.
He said (via mancity.com):
"Always we have scored goals here in the Champions League. We scored four against Madrid, six against Monaco, four against Tottenham. The problem is not the feeling that we don’t score goals. The problem is we concede stupid goals in the past. We give them. Most of the cases we give them."
He added:
"And in this competition and one of the reasons why for the build-up, for many things, we play four central defenders in that way, it does not mean you are defending team."
Guardiola then praised the defenders, saying:
"I know my team. They are so solid. Nathan [Ake] is so focused for 90 minutes. They are so stable here. Ruben [Dias] and Manu [Akanji] as well. It doesn’t matter what happens. John [Stones] as well. That is what we need in this competition."
Manchester City will next host Burnley in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup on March 18. The Clarets are managed by City legend Vincent Kompany and currently top the Championship.