Bernardo Silva hopes Man City avoid Ronaldo in Champions League draw

Bernardo Silva is hoping to see Manchester City avoid Juventus in the Champions League quarter-finals as he concedes that fellow Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo would be a “complicated” opponent.

The title holders of England and Italy are waiting to discover who they will be paired with in the draw for the last eight of Europe’s premier club competition.

City swept aside Schalke 10-2 on aggregate to make their way to that stage, with Pep Guardiola’s side still in the hunt for a possible quadruple.

They may, however, have to pass through Turin in order to remain on course for continental honours, with Juve among their possible Champions League foes.

A stunning hat-trick from Ronaldo saw the Bianconeri overcome Atletico Madrid in thrilling fashion in the last 16, and the thought of facing the five-time Ballon d’Or winner fills many with dread.

City midfielder Silva is among those, with the 24-year-old saying of a potential meeting with an international team-mate: "I wouldn't like it very much, to be honest.

"I know him, I know what he's capable of and once again he proved it [against Atletico].

"When you are playing in a competition like the Champions League you have to know that you can get drawn against these kind of teams, these kind of players, and it is a good thing. It means you are playing in the best competitions.

"We will see who we are playing against but, of course, to play against Cristiano is always complicated."

While Ronaldo continues to deliver for Juventus on the grandest of stages, Silva has been doing likewise for City this season.

His form has earned high praise from Guardiola, with the Blues boss suggesting that a player on his books is now Portugal’s biggest star.

Silva believes those comments have been taken slightly out of context, with there an acceptance on his part that he is still some way short of the level at which Ronaldo operates.

"I think people interpreted things a little different to what he meant," said a man who recently committed to a new long-term contract at the Etihad Stadium.

"Of course Cristiano, what he has done over the last 15 years in football is probably one of the best players ever in the history of football, so no comparison to him."