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Manchester City haven't had a statement win this season but circumstances are lining up for them in the Bernabeu tonight.
It’s only been 10 months since Manchester City were last in Madrid, but it feels like an awful lot has changed. City folded tamely across two legs in the play-off round, another blot on a miserable copybook of a season and further proof that Pep Guardiola’s squad needed a rebuild.
A £350million spend across January and the summer and the departures of key figures such as Ederson, Kyle Walker, Ilkay Gundogan, Jack Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne have added a fresh look to this group and they now face Real with the upper hand, piling the pressure on Arsenal domestically and with a squad that feels more united than it did last season.
Guardiola has called this league phase fixture a chance to lay down a statement and captain Bernardo Silva also senses the game is a barometer for this group. “It's one more game and we will try to be the best version of ourselves and to add another three points to stay in the top eight,” he said. “We know how tough it is to come here, we know how special it is to play in this stadium. It's definitely a very good test to come here and deal with this environment.”
Silva described this City team as “very different” from the last one to travel to the Spanish capital. Six of the players in the squad that night have left and others have stepped up. Nico O'Reilly is now a key member of the first XI and new signings such as Tijjani Reijnders and Ryan Cherki have big roles to play.
Silva's comments about the unity now on show, even during difficult moments, will raise eyebrows, given there was a feeling things were falling apart internally last season. Silva said after the FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace that he had learnt “who you can go to war with” during last season’s struggles and he is content to go into battle with this squad.
"We’re a very different team because the players are different, the club made the decision to change a lot of players and give a new dynamic to the team. It’s a different team, full of potential and energy," he said.
"We’re looking forward to the game tomorrow. We know how tough it is to come here to the Bernabeu, but the feeling and energy in the dressing room this season has been quite good even when results weren’t as good as performances, so we’re very excited."
Silva was appointed captain in the summer to lead a new group and although some of them might lack experience of a Champions League night in the Bernabeu, he is confident they are ready to show what they are made of.
"I would say that even the young guys, they’ve been through these kinds of games," he said. "It’s the Champions League, the kings of Europe, but if you play Liverpool away or Newcastle away, these are tough games with emotion. I really believe the team is prepared to perform well and get the three points."
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