With serenity and perseverance, Rodrigo Hernandez has earned the anchor position of the Guardiola’s Manchester City. The current one is being his best season, backed by great goals like the one he scored on Saturday against Watford. Before thea visit from Real Madrid to the Etihad Stadium in the Champions League semi-finals, attended SPORT.
Question: You have been used to not being able to afford a defeat for many days.
Answer: Sometimes it seems easy, but I’m delighted with wins like the one we got against Watford. Now the only thing we want is to think about Real Madrid and how they play. When you face teams from other countries, many things change, and you have to work on them.
Do you arrive tired to the game?
The schedule has been very demanding. We had a series of games against Liverpool and Atlético that we ended up blowing with the intensity of everything. We need rest because we have too many games, but it is what it is. Perhaps in the FA Cup against Liverpool it was the game that I noticed that we were most physically affected. Now I am not concerned in this regard.
“I noticed us more tired a week ago against Liverpool”
City have played 180 more minutes of football than Madrid before Tuesday’s match.
Honestly, you don’t know how this will affect. We’ll see on Tuesday, but the way the team played against Watford on Saturday makes me calm and think we’ll get there in good shape.
What is the great danger of Ancelotti’s Madrid?
We know perfectly well how they play and their experience in this competition, but they also know how to suffer and wait until their time comes to hurt you. It is his great virtue. The 90 minutes may not dominate you, but they are always dangerous. We have to be alert and make the best of the first leg at home.
“You see Benzema play and you think: damn!”
And, obviously, there is Benzema.
He is in the best moment of his career. I’ve played with him several times and you notice that he understands the game like no one else and makes the team improve in everything, and obviously the key goals he has scored this year. You see him play and you think “damn!& rdquor ;. He makes his team feel comfortable on the ball & mldr; as Ancelotti says, he is the perfect modern striker. We are going to be watching him, like the whole team.
With Benzema, Modric or Kroos nearby, will a large part of the tie pass through your area of influence on the pitch?
Sure, it can be. It’s up to me to stay calm, and above all to be mentally strong if at some point we have to suffer. From here, show the football we have. I think we are better, but we have to prove it on the pitch.
“In the Wanda we show that we know how to suffer”
Much has been said about the version of City that was seen at the Wanda.
These are things that happen in a tournament like the Champions League. The rival plays, they are very good and they have to know how to suffer sometimes. You can’t pretend to be attacking for 180 minutes, sometimes you have to defend and grit your teeth. It is part of football and I think that in recent years we have learned from this. As a team, in these situations we are improving a lot.
Regarding this competitive spirit, do you think that the tension in the duel against Liverpool for the Premier can help you in the Champions League?
You look at the leagues all over the world and they’re almost doomed, except ours. It is what it is. We have a giant like Liverpool that will keep us pushing until the end. This is how you win a Premier. They demand us every week, but it is also true that nobody squeezes us like we do. The level is very high and we want it that way, to improve every year.