Bernardo Mota Veiga de Carvalho e Silva, Manchester City’s Player of the Year for the 2018–2019 season, scored in the 23rd and 37th minutes of the UEFA Champions League semifinal.
After scoring a first-half brace against Real Madrid at the Etihad on Wednesday night, Manchester City superstar Bernardo Silva matched a record shared by Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski.
Silva, an attacking midfielder who came through Benfica’s youth system, is now only the third player in Champions League semifinal history to score at least twice against Real Madrid.
Lionel Messi, the former Barcelona sensation, did so in the first leg of the 2010-11 Champions League semifinal at the Santiago Bernabeu, scoring twice with a close-range effort and a magnificent solo goal.
Robert Lewandowski, Poland’s all-time leading scorer, is the other player to score more than once against the UEFA Champions League giants in the semifinal stage.
Lewandowski, a forward who won the La Liga title in his first season with Barcelona, scored four goals in the first leg of the semifinal match of the 2012–13 Champions League at Signal Iduna Park.
When Jürgen Klopp was in charge of him that season, the Polish striker led his first Bundesliga club, Borussia Dortmund, his former club, to a memorable 4-1 home first-leg victory.
The diminutive, elegant, and creative left-footed playmaker, Silver, opened the scoring at the Etihad in the 23rd minute with a smashing left-footed effort at the near post when he received a defence-splitting pass from Kelvin De Bruyne.
When Militao, who had returned from suspension, positioned himself in front of the goalpost in the 37th minute while Courtois was off his line, Silva headed in to double his team’s advantage.
After his performance at the Etihad, Silva joined Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski in terms of impressive statistics. The 28-year-old helped the English club defeat Real Madrid 4-0 (5-1 overall) with a brace of goals in the first half.
Silva’s brace has made him reach 13 Champions League goals in his career, of which nine have been scored in the knockout stage of the competition.
