..and City fear Ronnie is next

Bernardo: We don’t want to face Ronaldo.. we know just what he is capable of

MANCHESTER CITY are desperate to avoid Cristiano Ronaldo in tomorrow’s Champions League quarter-final draw.

Ronaldo proved his enduring class at the highest level with a stunning hat-trick for Juventus, who beat Atletico Madrid 3-0 to go through 3-2 on aggregate.

The Italian papers (above) went wild, calling the result “Monstrous” and likening the Juve side to “Martians” due to their out-of-this-world performance.

It was the 52nd hat-trick of Ronaldo’s career and

City’s Bernardo Silva

(right), who knows him well from playing for Portugal, said he would rather avoid Ronaldo in the last eight.

“I wouldn’t like it very much,” said Bernardo. “I know him, I know what he’s capable of and once again he proved it.

“Of course, to play against Cristiano and Lionel Messi it’s always complicated.”

City boss Pep Guardiola claimed Bernardo, who has been outstanding for the Blues this season, has replaced Ronaldo as Portugal’s most important player.

But Bernardo played down his manager’s praise, insisting Ronaldo’s achievements still make him the main man.

“I think people interpreted things a little differently to what he meant,” said Bernardo. “Of

course, Cristiano is probably one of the best players ever in the history of football, so there’s no comparison”

Bernardo, 24, who yesterday signed a three-year contract extension until 2025, said City are keen to prove Guardiola wrong this season – by winning the Champions League.

City booked their place in tomorrow’s quarter-final draw with an emphatic 7-0 win over Schalke, going through 10-2 on aggregate.

Guardiola had branded his side “teenagers” in the Champions League, because of their relative lack of experience in the competition. And Guardiola claimed clubs who have previously lifted the trophy have the edge over them.

But Bernardo said: “We’ll try to prove him wrong. We know it’s a difficult competition, against the best teams in Europe.’’

Asked what it would mean to win the Champions League, Bernardo added: “A lot – but this is a young team.

“Most of the team is young – we have the hunger for titles, and we don’t have just one big player.

“To have all the players who can make a difference and who have an important role in the team, I think is our biggest strength.”