Bernardo Silva had a brilliant match against Real Madrid with a double goal. Many people may be surprised that this small midfielder is so “sharp”, but in fact Silva is truly a “monster” of the knockout round of the Champions League.

Facing Real Madrid at home Etihad, Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne or Ilkay Gundogan – who scored twice against Everton in the Premier League over the weekend, are expected to score the defending champion. Perhaps no one pays any attention to Bernardo Silva, not because he despises the Portuguese player, but because the 28-year-old is only better at the task of disrupting and creating than directly scoring.

However, it all went wrong. Haaland’s great hope was “dead”, partly because goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was so excellent. So does Gundogan, and De Bruyne plays the role of assist. The person who opened the jubilant victory for Man City was none other than Silva. The former Monaco midfielder not only scored 1, but also 2 goals, and those are all goals that show incredible acumen and sense of space.

In the first goal, Silva cleverly escaped the clinging of Eduardo Camavinga and Real Madrid’s defense, occupying a vast space in the penalty area. Welcoming De Bruyne’s sophisticated slit, Silva launched a decisive kick with his left foot into the near corner, knocking down goalkeeper Courtois. At the double table more than 10 minutes later, the small midfielder continued to choose a good position, successfully headed in front of the astonishment of the Los Blancos defense.

Not many people think Silva is so “sharp”, but in fact, this player is a “monster” of the knockout round of the Champions League. Statistics show that, of the total of 12 goals in the Champions League in Silva’s career up to this point, up to 10 goals have come from the knockout stages, accounting for more than 70%.

Notably, Silva’s last 8 goals in the Champions League all came in the knockout round, including 3 against Real Madrid (in the semi-finals of the 2022/23 and 2021/22 seasons), 1 against Bayern (in the quarterfinals of the season. 2022/23), 2 against Sporting Lisbon (in the 1/8 round of the 2021/22 season), 1 against M’Gladbach (in the 1/8 round of the 2020/21 season), 1 against Tottenham (in the quarterfinals of the 2018/19 season) and 1 goal against Schalke (in the 1/8 round of the 2018/19 season).

Statistics don’t lie. They show how scary Silva is every time he enters a “one-on-one” match. The extremely important goals of the Portuguese midfielder helped Man City defeat two giants of European football, Bayern and Real Madrid, in this season’s Champions League.

Not as prominent as De Bruyne, Haaland or having explosive moments like Gundogan, but Silva plays an indispensable role in coach Pep Guardiola’s scheme. When needed, Silva can step back to kick low, taking on the task of pulling the ball up for Man City. Many times in the past, Silva was arranged by Pep to play a defensive midfielder, even a full-back. Regardless of the role, the player born in 1994 also successfully completed the task. That’s why Guardiola contradicted his own views.

Turning back time, when asked why Man City agreed to sell Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal last summer, Pep replied: “When you don’t want to stay and want to leave, you can’t stay anymore.” The same thing happened when the Blue Man sold Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling. Pep’s point is very clear. It is a team that is ready to open the door to anyone who wants to leave the Etihad, if they no longer want to contribute to the club. Last summer, Silva was rumored to want to leave Man City, with Barcelona as a potential destination.

However, Guardiola countered his philosophy to keep Silva at the Etihad: “Barca forget about signing Bernardo. We want him to stay, but I want both parties to be satisfied. I don’t want Bernardo to leave. Go. He’s a great player and a great person. It’s true that Bernardo likes Barca a lot, but I want him to stay.”

For a coach to always follow the rules to perfection like Guardiola must “submit”, contradicting his words is more than enough to prove Silva’s influence.

Who knows, the charm of scoring in the knockout round of the Champions League will once again help Silva score Inter Milan in the final in Istanbul, thereby bringing glory to Man City. Maybe, because Silva’s feet are always full of magic.