Real Madrid News
Man City legend shocked by Real Madrid’s performance – ‘Surprised me just like everyone else’
Real Madrid delivered one of the most impressive performances of the UEFA Champions League knockout stage when they defeated Manchester City 3-0 in the first leg of the round of 16 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The result shocked many, especially considering the strength of Pep Guardiola’s side and the expectation that the tie would be far more balanced.
One of the people who admitted to being surprised by the magnitude of the result was former Manchester City star David Silva.
Speaking during a recent media appearance, Silva acknowledged that the outcome of the match was not something many expected.
“It surprised me just like everyone else, didn’t it?”
Warning Man City
Silva was referring to the dominant performance produced by the Spanish giants, particularly during the opening half of the match when Real Madrid seized control and built the advantage that ultimately decided the first leg.
The Man City legend went on to explain that the early momentum created by Madrid made a huge difference and admitted that the result caught most viewers off guard.
“I think it surprised us all. And it all happened in the first half. But this is football, and these things can happen.”
Despite Real Madrid holding a strong advantage heading into the return fixture, Silva believes the tie is not completely over yet.
However, he stressed that Manchester City will need to take risks and start aggressively if they want to keep their hopes alive.
“There’s still another match to go, and let’s hope City can score early and make the tie interesting,” he noted.
Furthermore, according to the former midfielder, the key for City will be scoring early to apply pressure and disrupt Madrid’s ability to control the match.
“City has to go all out and score early, to make it exciting and prevent Real Madrid from playing calmly and scoring, because it changes everything if Madrid manages to score in the first half.
“With Madrid, you have to be very careful with your marking—we’ve already seen that they can kill you on the counterattack,” Silva concluded.
Source: Mundo Deportivo
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid hope captain will resume group training tomorrow and be ready for Villarreal
Real Madrid received a major boost in training today as Kylian Mbappe participated in the group session, indicating his readiness for the upcoming game against Villarreal.
The French superstar had returned from international duty with a knee injury, but seems to have left it behind and appears ready to start at the Santiago Bernabeu come Saturday.
What about Federico Valverde?
Now, according to AS, Federico Valverde was not part of the group training session today at Valdebebas. Instead, he was involved in an individual session away from his teammates.
However, Real Madrid hope that their club captain will be able to resume working with the rest of the squad on Thursday, putting him in the fray to return in time for Saturday’s clash against Villarreal.
Valverde is currently recovering from an ankle sprain that he sustained in Real Madrid’s 2-1 derby defeat against Atletico Madrid prior to the international break.
The Uruguayan midfielder was on the receiving end of a harsh tackle from Kang-In Lee, which left him injured, ruling him out of action for the national team.
The 28-year-old stayed behind in Madrid and has worked hard on his recovery, with things progressing in the right direction.
What now remains to be seen is whether he can jump back into group training session on Thursday, which would put him on the path to return to action against Villarreal.
A key player for Mourinho
So far this season, Valverde has emerged as a permanent fixture in the team under new manager Jose Mourinho.
The Real Madrid captain has started all of the team’s eight matches in all competitions this term, scoring and assisting one goal apiece.
His potential availability for Saturday’s clash against Villarreal will come as a major boost for Mourinho & co. Everything will depend on how things progress in tomorrow’s training session at Valdebebas.
With Ibrahima Konate also recovering from his knee sprain, Real Madrid have only three players sidelined currently: Raul Asencio, who recently underwent surgery, Rodrygo Goes, who is a long-term absentee, and Ferland Mendy, who has resumed work with the ball.
