'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABjAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABggQAAIBAwQDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwAEBQYHISIREhMBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIRAAEDAwUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAxEABBITISIxQf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8Axhjt1clBgb+yixdgkU1/bEhPonZR6q3VuCFAHFQEm4eo0kdROfCsQOzUpRt0hgLDfEFUkT7ApPPOPlGocsUwNh1M1//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Former England defender turned television pundit Stuart Pearce has waxed lyrical about Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva.
The Cityzens have set one foot in the Champions League semi-finals with a 3-0 win against Bayern Munich at the Etihad in the first leg.
Former Manchester City player and manager Stuart Pearce has heaped praise on Bernardo Silva for his excellent display against Bayern Munich.
Pearce also insisted that the Portugal international must be Pep Guardiola's favorite player because of his technical skills.
The Nottingham Forest legend also labeled the former AS Monaco star as 'a magician'. During his talkSPORT commentary, Pearce said, as quoted by talkSPORT:
“I tell you what, I think Bernardo Silva has got to be Pep’s favourite player. When that ball arrives at his feet, he just never loses it. His body movement, his low centre of gravity, he’s just a magician with the ball at his feet.”
Bernardo Silva scored Manchester City's second goal of the game after Rodri gave the Sky Blues a 1-0 lead with a stupendous long-range strike with his left foot.
Silva doubled the lead in the second half, capitalizing on an error from Dayot Upamecano before Erling Haaland made it 3-0 for the Cityzens.
Bernardo Silva has been a key player for the Cityzens following his €70 million move from AS Monaco in 2017.
The one-time 'Manchester City Player of the Year' has become a fan favorite at the club over the years.
However, his future at the Etihad has been pretty much up in the air for quite some time now amid interest from Barcelona.
The versatile midfielder has also made it abundantly clear in the past that he would love to make his dream switch to the Camp Nou.
However, he remains an integral member of Pep Guardiola's side and has contributed with five goals and six assists in 42 games this season.
Thomas Tuchel praises Bayern Munich performance despite 3-0 loss to Manchester City in UCL
Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel has praised his side despite their 3-0 loss to Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.
Despite the defeat, Tuchel heaped praise on his team and said that they deserved something from the game. The former Chelsea boss told Amazon Prime, as quoted by Metro:
"I don’t agree with the result at all. We were punished in periods where we were the better team. We were just brutally punished today. I thought our performance was very good until the 2-0 goal. I don’t want to talk down the result. I thought it was a very good performance until the 70th minute."
He added:
"I think we deserved at least one goal and gave away one or two too many. I think our players lacked a bit of confidence and form. Obviously the result is bitter for us. I fell a little bit in love with my team today, the way they performed. Even if it sounds strange, it was a lot of fun."
The second leg of the quarter-final between Manchester City and Bayern Munich will take place at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday (April 19).
