Manchester City has a mountain to climb in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 after losing 0-3 at home to Real Madrid on Wednesday. Bernardo Silva was the captain of the Citizens in the match (as was compatriot Rúben Dias) and was visibly disappointed after the game. "It's difficult to talk about this; I would need to watch the game again. My feeling on the pitch was that we started the game well," he pointed out to TNT Sports. However, Federico Valverde would go on to score a hat trick in the first half, with goals in the 20th, 27th, and 42nd minutes. "We couldn't control the atmosphere, and I think my team let the emotions change the game. We felt comfortable and were finding the right spaces, but after we conceded the first goal, we completely lost control; we stopped managing the transitions and the second balls. When you play against Real Madrid, with the quality they have, you pay the price." Given the difficulties the team faced, the player, who is in the final year of his contract with City, stated that this game "was a learning experience for everyone." "We need to go through these moments to improve." The Portuguese midfielder also lamented the fact that City failed to score any goals, complicating the task they will face in the second leg. "It's quite frustrating [not having scored], although we believe it is still possible because many things can happen in football. At halftime, we were saying, 'The situation is bad.' Many things that shouldn't have happened did happen, but with one goal, we would have been in the fight. The 3-0 makes the task more difficult," he noted. All that remains is to look forward to the clash next Tuesday at the Etihad Stadium, with City also facing Nuno Espírito Santo's West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday: "Now is the time to reflect and see what we didn't do well. Then, next week, when we prepare, we will have hope that we can achieve something."
Bernardo Silva Manchester City remains central to this story.
Bernardo Silva Manchester City remains central to this story.
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