Manchester City superstar Bernardo Silva matched a record held by Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski by scoring a first-half brace against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semifinal second leg at the Etihad on Wednesday (May 17).
Silva is now only the third player to score at least twice against Real Madrid in a Champions League semifinal game.
Lionel Messi first did so when he netted a brace in the first leg of the 2010-11 Champions League semifinal at the Santiago Bernabeu, thanks to a close range effort and a magnificent solo goal.
Robert Lewandowski is the only other player to do so. He bagged four goals in the first leg of the 2012-13 Champions League semifinals at Signal Idula Park, leading his former club Borussia Dortmund to a memorable 4-1 first-leg win at home.
Bernardo Silva, meanwhile, opened the scoring at the Etihad in the 23rd minute on Wednesday with a smashing left-footed effort at the near post. That came after a period of sustained pressure from the hosts, with Real Madrid barely seeing the ball in the opening stages.
Silva doubled his team’s lead in the 37th minute with a header. Madrid trail 3-1 on aggregate at half-time and need to score twice without conceding to force extra time.
