Bernardo Silva Laments ‘Frustrating’ Rule Change Leading To Manchester City’s UCL Loss Vs Real Madrid

In the last match of the season, Manchester City is all geared up to finish the season with a double. The Sky Blues will take on Manchester United in less than 24 hours in the finals of the FA Cup. Pep Guardiola’s side is on a roll with the team securing their fourth consecutive Premier League title. However, the European champions could have picked up another title this season if they hadn’t been defeated in the Champions League semifinals by Real Madrid. Ahead of the FA Cup final, Manchester City star Bernardo Silva touched down on City’s exit from the Champions League.

Bernardo Silva claimed that City were undoubtedly the better side in the contest. The player also stated that the defending champions would have gone through, if not for penalties.

Silva stated, “We were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid, but our fans still applauded us after the match. They recognized that we gave everything we had to progress, but that’s football. Had the away goal rule been in effect this season, we would have qualified over Real Madrid. We faced a similar situation against Tottenham a few years ago, which is frustrating.”

UEFA used the away goal rule to decide the winner in case of draws during knockout competitions. The away goals rule means that goals scored at home count as two when both teams have the same score. While the Cityzens star might be upset with the loss, he agreed with UEFA’s reasoning behind scrapping the rule.

Bernardo Silva comments on UEFA scrapping the away goal rule

Despite his frustrations over UEFA’s decision to scrap the away goal rule, Bernardo Silva understands the reasoning behind the decision to do so. The treble winner stated, “I understand the decision to abolish the away goal rule. Now, teams play more openly, unlike before when home teams focused on not conceding goals, which wasn’t beneficial for the game. Now, teams are more competitive.”

With the Champions League out of their grasp, Pep Guardiola and his men will be eager to close their season with a win over Manchester United. The Sky Blues would want nothing less than to get their hands on the title. It will be interesting to see if the team can get past their UCL defeat and focus on the FA Cup finals. Do you agree with Bernardo Silva’s point of view over the away goal rule? Give your thoughts in the comments below.