Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva speaks on Real Madrid clash, says supporters should expect a high-intensity contest when the Sky Blues meet the Spainsh team once again in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night.
The fixture has become something of a European tradition. Remarkably, this is the fifth consecutive season Pep Guardiola’s side have been paired with the Spanish giants in Europe’s most prestigious competition.
But while the opponents are familiar, Silva insists this encounter comes with a very different feel, with City undergoing significant evolution since their last visit to the Bernabeu.
Guardiola’s men arrive in Spain in strong domestic and continental form, carrying momentum built through three successive Premier League victories while also maintaining their place within the top ten of the Champions League’s league-phase standings.
Madrid, meanwhile, remain one of Europe’s toughest assignments, especially under the floodlights of their famous stadium.
For Silva — who has lived through dramatic wins, painful defeats and almost every emotion imaginable against Madrid — this latest meeting offers what he considers the perfect test of the squad’s growth in maturity, balance, and tactical confidence.
“It’s definitely a very good test to come here and play in this environment and should be a fun game tomorrow,” he said ahead of the match, speaking at Tuesday’s pre-match press conference.
City’s repeated pairings with Madrid have created a rivalry rich in narrative, even if the format of the competition has changed over the years.
Until this season, their encounters came in knock-out rounds. Now, under the restructured league-phase system, every fixture carries the weight of positioning within a larger table rather than a direct do-or-die tie.
Last season, the advantage fell decisively to Madrid. The Spanish side prevailed 6–3 on aggregate, using their experience and clinical finishing to dump City out during the last-16 play-off round.
For a club accustomed to going deep in Europe, that exit cut sharply, and there is little doubt that memory lingers within the squad.
This time, however, City’s shape, style and personnel have shifted. Guardiola has steered a subtle rebuild, integrating more youth, adding pace in transition and adjusting how his team manages the ball under pressure.
The outcome is a version of City that looks markedly different from the sides that faced Madrid in previous years.
Silva acknowledged this evolution and stressed its importance.
He added, “It’s one more game where we’re going to try to be the best version of ourselves and add another three points to be in the top eight. That’s our main goal.”
While the midfielder is one of the most experienced players in the squad, he admits that returning to the Bernabeu never loses its sense of occasion.
“We know how special it is to be in this stadium. I’m more used to it,” he said.
Yet familiarity has not dulled the humour within the club about the frequency of the matchup.
“We seem to draw them every year; it’s like a league game now,” Silva joked, highlighting the growing sense that City–Madrid has become something of an annual football festival.
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Confidence, however, remains central of the message as Bernardo Silva speaks on Real Madrid clash.
“I really believe the team is prepared to perform well and get the three points.”
His words reflect both the belief within the squad and the high standards expected of a top Premier League team. For City, this fixture doubles as both a benchmark and an opportunity: a chance to measure themselves against one of Europe’s most decorated sides while also collecting crucial points in the new-look Champions League standings.
Meanwhile, Wednesday’s matchup marks City’s sixth outing in the 2025/26 league phase, and with the competition’s expanded structure, each point gained or lost carries longer-term consequences.
The top-eight places guarantee direct progression to the round of 16, a target Silva emphasised as essential for a team with serious ambitions of reclaiming European supremacy.
The Bernabeu, though, remains one of world football’s most intimidating venues. Madrid have built decade-spanning dominance on its stage, picking up moments of magic with remarkable consistency.