Bernardo Silva believes Manchester City are not in the same “dark place” they were at the end of 2024 but admitted the situation is still “not perfect” with their season now hinging on their Champions League second-leg tie against Real Madrid.
Silva made the comment in November after his team fell to a 4-1 defeat to Sporting in Europe, a game which marked one blemish across their run of seven fixtures without a win at the time, but the 30-year-old insists the situation is now improving.
City are still sporadic in their form, as outlined by their 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid in the first leg of the play-off tie which was quickly followed by an impressive 4-0 win against Newcastle last weekend, but Silva is certain his team can continue their resurgence by overcoming the one-goal deficit at the Bernabeu on Wednesday to save their season.
When asked about his “dark place” comments, Silva said: “When a team is so successful, as ours was in the last seven to eight seasons, you lose a few and you are not used to it.
Silva claimed the club was in a “dark place” following the loss to Sporting
“We don’t accept it. We don’t take well to not winning. It was frustrating but I do think the team is in a better moment now but still not perfect, in terms of results especially.
“We are not in the same dark place that I was feeling, like in November.”
Despite still being in contention to progress in the Champions League and recently advancing in the FA Cup after coming from behind to avoid embarrassment against League One side Leyton Orient, Silva claimed City’s season now hinges on winning in Madrid.
Jude Bellingham scored a late winner for Real in the first leg
He added: “I don’t think my team-mates need a lot of motivation to play this competition and opponent. It will be such a special game.
“In terms of what this represents to us after so many of our results, to stay in this competition knowing we won’t win the most important one of the season, which is the Premier League, it is motivation for us.
They travel and we will see tomorrow. Good news they are here, obviously.
“Knowing we are in a worse place than when the tie started, because we played at home and we lost. We believe that it is possible, knowing we play against a very good team with special moments in this competition.
“We believe we can come here and try to put problems to this Madrid team, knowing they are a top side.”
Silva: We only have ourselves to blame – if we lose it is a lesson
City currently sit in fourth place in the Premier League, 16 points adrift of leaders Liverpool.
Pep Guardiola says ‘all of us’ are to blame for Manchester City letting a 2-1 lead slip against Real Madrid in the Champions League
The threat of walking away from the 2024/25 campaign without silverware now looms large if they fail to overcome the daunting task of beating Madrid away from home, after also dropping out of the Carabao Cup against Tottenham during the run of seven games without a win which led to Silva’s original “dark place” comment.
“Very disappointing for sure,” Silva said when asked to reflect on the season so far. “When the season started, I wouldn’t believe you if you said we were in this position in the Premier League and playing Madrid in the play-offs and not the latter stages.
Man City must overcome a one-goal deficit against Real
“We put ourselves in this situation so we deserve to be in this complicated situation of playing this team in the play-offs. We finished 22nd if I’m not mistaken.
“If things don’t go our way it will be a lesson for the future. We still believe but it is a lesson for the future.”
Guardiola calls for ‘courage’ from his players to beat Madrid
Guardiola called for his players to show ‘courage’ against Real
Guardiola is well aware of the task in hand, with City winless in their last three meetings with Los Blancos on the road, but has echoed Silva’s belief and called for his players to show “courage” in the season-defining game on Wednesday night.
When asked what was needed for his side to progress in the competition, Guardiola said: “An almost perfect game. The result was not good.
“But the result is not the perfect situation, we have to attack and score goals. This is the idea.
“Play with courage and be yourself. You have to play to win the game otherwise you can lose. The times we did well here was because we played to win the game.”
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