Bernardo Silva has warned his Manchester City team-mates that Manchester United are more than just Cristiano Ronaldo, as he prepares to face his compatriot for the very first time.
Premier League champions City travel to face bitter rivals United on Saturday, live on Sky Sports, with Portugal team-mates Silva and Ronaldo on opposing sides for the first time in their careers.
Pep Guardiola’s side could move above Liverpool into second place with a victory at Old Trafford and Silva says City cannot afford to focus solely on the threat of Ronaldo, who now has nine goals in 11 games this season after Tuesday’s brace against Atalanta.
When asked to assess Ronaldo’s impact so far this season, Silva told Sky Sports News: “I think he is doing well.
“He is helping United with late winners this season. He is a player that people know, he can decide the game.
“We’re going to try and stop him, and make sure that he doesn’t score on Saturday. But we’re not playing against Cristiano, we’re playing against Manchester United.
“We’re going to be focussed on our job.”
Silva insists he will treat Saturday’s derby like any other match and is accustomed to facing his international team-mates in club football.
He said: “I’ve played against many of my team-mates – when I play Wolves, I play against half of the national team!
“When I play against Liverpool, I play against [Diogo] Jota, when I play against United, I play against Bruno [Fernandes] as well. There are many team-mates here in the Premier League.
“Of course Cristiano is a big name, as everyone knows. It is one more game, an important one – very important for us, but just one more game.”
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Silva has impressed this season in a free-roaming midfield role and was voted City’s Player of the Month for both September and October.
It is some turnaround for the 27-year-old, who is now enjoying his football after being linked with a move away from the Etihad in the summer.
“I’m feeling happy right now. I love the club, I’ve always loved the club,” he said.
“I feel the love from the fans, from the staff and from my team-mates and that was never the question.”
Manchester derby preview: Man Utd’s injury problems at the back | Must-win for Man City? | Big match prediction
Peter Smith is joined by Sky Sports football journalists Richard Morgan and Ben Grounds to discuss the huge Saturday lunchtime showdown between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford.
PART 1 | How are the two rivals shaping up for the big clash? We weigh up how Man Utd’s injury concerns in defence could affect their approach, while we ask whether Jack Grealish is living up to his big price tag and the reasons behind some inconsistent form from the defending champions. Is this match now a must-win for them with Chelsea pulling clear at the top of the Premier League?
PART 2 | Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a winning record against Pep Guardiola so what’s the secret to his success in this rivalry? And how will the clash go on Saturday? We make our big match predictions!
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