Haaland Drought May Lead To Silva-Backed Drop Against Real Madrid

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Bernardo Silva has accepted that Erling Haaland could even start on the bench when Manchester City face Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 second leg, noting that Pep Guardiola has strong options and may again trust the wider squad in a key European tie.

Silva stressed that selection calls belong entirely to Guardiola and that the players simply adapt. He underlined Haaland's importance in big fixtures but also pointed to Manchester City's depth, with several attacking choices available if Guardiola changes the forward line against Real Madrid.

"We wouldn't be shocked by anything, because it is not our job to judge the manager's decision; he gets paid a lot of money to make those decisions,Silva told reporters. We have a big squad, everyone is ready to play. Erling is a massive player for us, a very important player, and in the big games, you need those players. But we have fantastic players everywhere. No one is irreplaceable. I would obviously prefer to have Erling because when you have Erling on the pitch, you are scoring goals, and we need goals [against Madrid]. We've played without Erling when he was injured, we've dealt with those situations. The big players are there for the big moments."

The debate over Haaland's place comes during a lean spell. Haaland has not scored in three straight Premier League games, and that run stretches to six fixtures in all competitions. Many observers now wonder if Guardiola might briefly remove Haaland from the starting lineup.

Haaland's scoring pace earlier this season was far stronger. Before the turn of the year, the striker had 25 goals in all competitions, with only Kylian Mbappe on 29 and Harry Kane on 30 ahead. In 2026, however, Haaland has added only four further goals to that total.

The Premier League numbers show the contrast clearly. Across Haaland's first 17 league matches of this campaign, there were 19 goals and a 29% shot conversion rate. Over the following 12 league games, Haaland has taken 36 shots but scored just three times, dropping to an 8% conversion.

Since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in 2022, Haaland has stayed central to Guardiola's plans. Haaland has played 187 games in all competitions for Manchester City, starting 176. Over that period, only Declan Rice and Virgil van Dijk on 178 starts, and Bruno Fernandes on 188, have begun more matches.

Manchester City's overall output remains steady even when Haaland is absent. Haaland has missed 41 matches since moving to England, with Manchester City winning 33, drawing three and losing five. The side averages 2.3 goals per game both with and without Haaland on the pitch, though results show a difference.

The data highlights that Manchester City win 80.5% of matches when Haaland does not feature, compared to 63.1% with Haaland involved. Those figures, alongside Haaland's recent scoring dip, frame Guardiola's choice before Real Madrid, while Silva's comments show the squad expects and accepts whatever decision follows.