"Why should we fear them?" - Bernardo Silva claims Manchester City are not afraid of Real Madrid ahead of UCL semi-final
Manchester City star Bernardo Silva has claimed that the Cityzens are unfazed about facing Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semi-final despite the latter's record in the competition.
Los Blancos host Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday (May 9). The return leg will be at the Etihad Stadium on May 17, with the winner facing AC Milan or Inter Milan in the final in Turkey.
Pep Guardiola and Co. go into the clash high on confidence, having not tasted defeat since losing 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on February 5. They will hope to cash in on their form and end their long wait to win the Champions League this time.
However, Real Madrid will be determined to rain on the Cityzens' parade as they eye their 15th Champions League triumph. They also go into the tie on the back of a 2-1 win over Osasuna in the Copa del Rey final.
Silva, though, has insisted that Manchester City are not scared of Los Blancos despite their tremendous record in Europe. The midfielder added that the Premier League giants are keen to continue building their confidence.
"We have a lot of respect for them, yes, but not any fear at all," Silva said (via The Daily Mail). "Why should we fear them? We'll try to keep the momentum we've built over two months to arrive very confident to beat them, knowing they won the Champions League last season for a reason."
Many believe Real Madrid have an advantage over Manchester City due to their record in the Champions League. Silva, though, reckons the focus should be on the players on the pitch.
"It's not about the badge, It's never about the badge," Silva added. "It's about the players that are on the pitch.
If Madrid didn't have (Luka) Modric, (Toni) Kroos, Vinicius (Jr), (Karim) Benzema - I could say all of them - they wouldn't win anything because the shirt doesn't do it on its own.
"We'd be stupid not to respect them but we have that goal knowing we lost last year in tough circumstances. This time we will try to make it different."
It remains to be seen who will emerge victorious in the mouthwatering tie.
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti makes emphatic claim ahead of Manchester City clash
Carlo Ancelotti is confident that the support of the home fans will give Real Madrid an advantage against Manchester City on Tuesday (May 9). He said:
"We will have an advantage vs City on Tuesday: our fans at the Bernabeu. We will play 12 vs 11."
The La Liga giants beat the Cityzens 6-5 on aggregate in a thrilling tie when the two sides met in the Champions League semi-final last year. They then went on to beat Liverpool 1-0 in the final to secure the trophy.