Manchester City will go head-to-head with Real Madrid for a place in the Champions League final for the second season in a row, after the former beat Bayern Munich 4-1 on aggregate on Wednesday. The tie between the two last time out was one of the most memorable in recent times, but City are out to rectify the result of a game that slipped through their fingers.
Midfield star Bernardo Silva admitted to Movistar+ (via Marca) that they were out for revenge against Los Blancos.
“There is a spirit of revenge against Real Madrid because last year was very hard; but what there is is a great desire to be in this final and win this title that would be the first time in history for Manchester City.”
City were 4-3 up from the first leg after a scintillating game, and were leading 1-0 in the second as the game approached its end. Los Blancos managed two goals in a matter of minutes to save themselves, and subsequently lost it in extra time.
“Revenge against Real Madrid? Let’s hope so! We’ll go for it. We always go for it, but we feel like the team is very, very confident right now. I think we are going to go to the final,” said Silva to the English press thereafter.
Silva recognised that the manner of last year’s defeat was a source of anger for City.
“Again against Real Madrid. Three or four years ago we played against them and we beat them. Last year there was a lot of frustration because of the way we lost that game. [It’s] a new opportunity to be in the final, and it is a competition that Manchester City wants a lot, we’re not going to lie. We have that opportunity to beat Real Madrid and we have the team to do it, but we know Madrid’s quality, especially in this competition. We’re very excited to do it well.”
It is no surprise that City want to set the record straight. From their perspective, they will feel as if they were the better team for much of the knockout, but ruined their chances by crumbling at the end. The mental factor is likely to play a large role, with Los Blancos supremely confident in Europe.
Image via Catherine Ivill/Getty Images
If you plan on revenge dig two graves.
Old proverb. Just ask Salah. He was never the same after his “revenge on Madrid” statement in media.
You still have the most meltdown prone coach in world who is a master of snatching a defeat out of jaws of victory, evidented by 11 years of CL failures, mainly thanks to his coaching decisions, lineups and tactical fails.
Be careful what you wish for.