Man City legend shocked by Real Madrid’s performance – ‘Surprised me just like everyone else’

Madrid, Spain – Former Manchester City playmaker David Silva has joined the chorus of stunned observers after Real Madrid’s emphatic 3-0 victory over the English champions in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 tie at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Silva, who made 436 appearances for City and remains a revered figure among the Etihad faithful, admitted the one-sided scoreline was beyond almost everyone’s pre-match expectations. “It surprised me just like everyone else, didn’t it?” the Spaniard told reporters during a media appearance this week. “I think it surprised us all. And it all happened in the first half. But this is football, and these things can happen.”

Carlo Ancelotti’s side seized the initiative from the opening whistle, racing into a commanding lead before the interval that left Guardiola’s men with a mountain to climb. Silva pinpointed that early surge as decisive, noting how Madrid’s early momentum allowed them to dictate the tempo and ultimately decide the contest.

Despite the daunting deficit, the 37-year-old believes the tie is not yet beyond City. “There’s still another match to go, and let’s hope City can score early and make the tie interesting,” he said. “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.”

Silva also warned of the Spanish giants’ ability to punish any over-commitment. “With Madrid, you have to be very careful with your marking—we’ve already seen that they can kill you on the counterattack.”

City now face a monumental task in the return leg, needing at least three goals without reply to force extra time. Silva’s message is clear: attack early, score first, and hope the Bernabéu script can be rewritten under the lights of the Etihad.