Man City and Monaco load Silva bullets
Midfield kingpins — David from Spain and Portugal’s Bernardo — to square up in Champions League battle
London — Manchester City and Monaco go into Tuesday’s Champions League showdown each pinning their hopes on short, left-footed midfield creators from the Iberian peninsula who go by the name of Silva. Monaco’s Silva is Bernardo, a 22-year-old Portuguese winger whose knack for decisive goals has made him a central figure in their free-scoring surge to the Ligue 1 summit. Nine years older but no less influential is City’s Silva, elegant Spain international David, whose enduring brilliance has enabled him to remain a vital cog in Pep Guardiola’s fast-evolving team. "Amazing," was the word Guardiola employed when he was asked to describe David’s performance in City’s most recent Premier League game, a 2-0 win at Bournemouth. English football has proved more resistant to Guardiola’s methods than many expected, but David has helped to uphold the old Barcelona tenet that if the opponent cannot get the ball, they cannot hurt you. "The last 15, 20 minutes, with Kevin [De Bruyne], with Fernan...
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