Bernardo Silva has stressed the importance of one of his Manchester City teammates in their upcoming contest against Real Madrid.

Considering the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final will be played at the Etihad Stadium, the onus will be on City to be on the attack.

Like Real Madrid were when the first leg was held at the Santiago Bernabeu.

But the likes of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Dani Carvajal in particular have played in some of the most daunting atmospheres in the world and that too in the Champions League.

The Wanda Metropolitano, the Allianz Arena and the Signal Iduna Park are just some of the names that jump off the page.

Having undergone both highs and lows in such stadiums, such experienced campaigners will likely be unfazed by Wednesday’s clash.

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Bernardo Silva says City star will be “really important” in Real Madrid clash

As a result, Manchester City’s players will have to intimidate their opponents in every sense of the word.

One way to do so would be to show that they are up for the challenge.

Showing one of the best teams in the world that they feel no fear facing them is key.

In addition, City should also have no hesitation in controlling the game by dominating possession to send Real Madrid the message that in their patch, they call the shots.

Intensity will also be crucial and how the hosts’ players chase every ball down could also create an atmosphere similar to last season’s, which was electric.

Defensively as well, it is fundamental for City to ensure that despite them being porous at the back at times, they refuse not to put their bodies on the line to ensure their backline is not breached.

Kyle Walker needs no reminding of this message and Bernardo Silva has emphasised how important his return to the starting XI will be for Manchester City against Real Madrid.

“Well, it’s really important because we know that Kyle [Walker] is a player who has controlled some of the best players in the world, the ones that play out wide. He always does phenomenally well when he plays, he’s a really important player for us”, he said [via BeanymanSports].

Manchester City technician Bernardo Silva admitted that he was unsure whether Kyle Walker would be fully fit to start against Real Madrid.

“We’ve not unfortunately had him available for the Madrid game but now we do have him. We don’t know what exact condition he is in at the moment, we’ll find out from the manager, he will know better than me and he’ll make his decision whether he plays him tomorrow or not.”

“But I’m sure that if he doesn’t play, we have got other solutions, other options but I’m not going to say he’s not an important player, he’s our captain and in the last few years, he’s played against players like Vinicius [Junior], [Kylian] Mbappe, Neymar and he knows how to defend against them like nobody.”

“Perhaps they can still cause him problems and they can cause damage but he’s a really important player, you can’t deny that.”

Ahead of the contest, Pep Guardiola confirmed that there is a possibility that the 33-year-old could start against Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

Bernardo Silva makes a key point about having alternatives to Kyle Walker

Not many would disagree that Bernardo Silva that if Kyle Walker starts, that would be ideal when Manchester City lock horns with Real Madrid.

But Bernardo did state that if Walker is unable to play, they have other defenders who can get the job done against the Spanish juggernaut.

Leaders like City’s number 20 need to drill this message into his team’s defenders.

As key as Walker is, the Sky Blues defenders have shown in the past that when they play their best football, they can cope without him.

Regardless of the opposition.

If the Manchester City defenders go into the contest against Real Madrid will a level of self-assuredness if Kyle Walker is unable to play, Bernardo Silva and his teammates could get over the line.

However, if Walker’s potential absence becomes a constant talking point in the dressing room, the players could subconsciously have a defeatist mentality against the visitors, which could be fatal for their hopes of qualifying for the semi-final.