Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva has this week spoken to ESPN Brasil ahead of the Manchester derby.
The 27-year-old prepares for a match at Old Trafford in a different circumstance, as the two biggest stars at Manchester United are his compatriots.
Bernardo Silva talked about it feels to face Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo, both his teammates at the national team, and how much easier it is to face players who he knows so well.
“Knowing the players as well as we know Cristiano and Bruno, of course it helps a lot in the way we mark them, in the way we try to limit their game,” Bernardo Silva told ESPN Brasil.
However, he points out that Manchester City can be harmed by that too, since they also have the likes of João Cancelo and Ruben Dias in the squad.
“But that’s the same for us. For Bruno, who knows me very well, it also helps him, for example, in that midfield fight, for us to limit each other. It’s going to be a great game. It will be a game that both teams want to win and we will do our best to be the ones to win.”
Bernardo Silva also talked about how dangerous can Manchester United be, making it clear that Manchester City’s biggest concern is not to let the ball get to the Red Devils’ centre-forwards.
“I think the ease he has to shoot… I think Cristiano is a player who, inside the box, is perhaps the best player of all time. Right foot, left foot, head. He’s a player who finishing, maybe there’s no one like him.
“So this part of trying to avoid defending so low, controlling the game with the ball as long as possible because we know that when they have the ball they are a very dangerous team, with players like Cavani or Cristiano in the box, who are players who finish very well. So we avoid as much as possible that they reach our last third. Prevent them from having this opportunity to finish the plays because in that they are very strong, of course.”
As Manchester City currently have 20 points and Manchester United got 17, this could be a game which will dictate whether the Red Devils will keep up with the current Premier League champions or not.
