Real Madrid are a tough test despite Kylian Mbappe uncertainty, admits Bernardo Silva | OneFootball

Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva has admitted that Real Madrid will be a tough test despite the long list of absentees Xabi Alonso is dealing with.

City come up against Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday evening with an aim to make it four wins on the trot in all competitions, having closed the gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal to two points with wins over Leeds United, Fulham and Sunderland in the last 10 days.

The Blues fell to a shock 2-0 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen last time out in the UEFA Champions League as goals from Alejandro Grimaldo and Patrik Schick caused a major upset at the Etihad Stadium against a Manchester City side that witnessed 10 changes to their starting XI.

Real Madrid are set to miss up to eight first-team stars against Manchester City, with Kylian Mbappe also a major doubt to feature after missing his side’s open training session on Tuesday and Eduardo Camavinga also ruled out with an ankle injury.

Guardiola and co cannot afford another defeat in the group-stage if they want to avoid the risk of entering the Round of 16 play-offs and despite the wide array of names Real Madrid will miss on Wednesday, Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva has reminded his teammates that it will be a tough game regardless.

“I cannot say that (Real) Madrid has some bad players, so that if he (Kylian Mbappe) doesn’t play – instead of playing Vinicius and Mbappe, Vinicius and Rodrygo – I wouldn’t say those players are bad players,” Silva said in a press conference on Tuesday.

“So no matter who plays, (Real Madrid will be) a very tough game and we know how strong they are, their character, the way they play, and it’s going to be a nice game tomorrow.”

Silva is one of Manchester City’s longest-serving players in the current squad and the Portugal international, who is into the final year of his current deal at the Etihad Stadium, knows all too well what it is like to compete at one of the toughest venues in Europe.

“We’re still going to watch a few clips of their team to be better prepared and to know what they do most games,” the 31-year-old added. “Since I came to Manchester City, I think I’ve played Real Madrid five or six times in the Bernabeu.

“We are better prepared for these games as we saw when we played against Liverpool, Arsenal, even against Newcastle or some UEFA Champions League games. I think we are much better prepared compared to last season.”

On Wednesday, Silva is set to captain a young, new-look Manchester City side that witnessed sweeping changes in the summer transfer window following the appointment of Hugo Viana as the club’s sporting director.

“The club made a decision of changing a lot of players, giving a new dynamic to the team, so it’s a different team full of potential, full of energy. And we’re looking forward to the game tomorrow, a tough game,” the midfielder said.

“But the feeling and the energy in the dressing room this season has been quite good, even when the results weren’t as good as the performances. So we’re very excited, it’s a good test for us.

“It’s going to be a fun game to play (against Real Madrid) tomorrow. I really believe that the team is prepared to perform well and to get the three points, which is the main goal.”

For a side at a nascent stage of their transition in the backdrop of a busy transfer window, it can be argued that City are punching above their weight as they look set to challenge Arsenal in the title race and improve upon their Round of 16 finish in the UEFA Champions League from the 2024-25 campaign.