The Man City player Liverpool should be most afraid of mentioned by Diogo Jota, and not Erling Haaland.

Pep Lijnders is aware that Manchester City has the ideal substitute for the sidelined Kevin de Bruyne for this Saturday’s Premier League matchup against Liverpool.

When Liverpool plays Manchester City on Saturday afternoon, Pep Guardiola will be in the opposition dugout. Guardiola has had the honour of coaching some of the greatest football players in history.

Even before he joined City, he managed Lionel Messi, who is arguably the best to have ever played, and Xavi and Iniesta, two midfielders who are adored worldwide.

He had the opportunity to work with famous midfielders like Xabi Alonso and Toni Kroos as well as historically prolific striker Robert Lewandowski during his next management stint at Bayern.

And that’s only a selection of six names from an exceptional list. There are undoubtedly five starting lineups under Guardiola’s coaching that are competitive enough to win the Champions League.

Guardiola has enjoyed the peak of Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri, witnessed the last years of David Silva, Vincent Kompany, and Sergio Agüero from the sidelines at the Etihad, and brought English football’s Erling Haaland.

Bernardo Silva is another player that the Spaniard believes is extremely talented. Guardiola called him ‘one of the best players he’s ever seen’ following his brilliant performance in City’s 3-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford at the end of last month (via Man City’s official website).

Undoubtedly, since his arrival in 2017, he has played a significant role in City’s extraordinary achievement. Rumours have been rife for some time now that he might depart, first to sign with Barcelona, then PSG, and now, most recently, to become one of the many superstars in the Saudi Pro League. Although he would have received an incredible wage to play in the Middle East (via Fabrizio Romano), Bernardo acknowledges that he thought about accepting the offer and preferred to remain at the top. He then signed a new deal that would last until 2026.

Guardiola acknowledged that he was “scared” about losing a player he considered “irreplaceable” as he read a love note to Bernardo after that United match (via Mirror). Indeed, he has demonstrated his value this season once more.

Although the 29-year-old has been picked frequently—he started eight of City’s first 12 games—his status has not been stable. He has already played with Rodri as a number six, a number 10, an eight, and a right winger.

His versatility comes from his wide range of abilities and football acumen, which is why fellow countryman Diogo Jota chose him as the one player from a different team that he would most like to see at Anfield. “For me, he’s probably one of the most intelligent football guys I’ve ever known and the way he can hide the ball from opponents is special,” he stated to That’s Football.

Even when attempting daring throws, Bernardo has earned a reputation as a player who seldom gives up the ball. This season, he has lived up to that reputation by completing an astounding 91.1 percent of his long passes, second only to Rodri’s 91.8 percent in the City ranks.

On Saturday, Guardiola will be without the injured De Bruyne, but Silva is prepared to assume the creative role in his place. Similar to De Bruyne, he can also create opportunities by carrying the ball. This season, he is leading the Premier League in predicted assists per ninety minutes (0.34). He ranks second in the City team for progressive carries (43), and with nine carries that result in a crucial pass, he is second in the league overall (Dejan Kulusevski of Tottenham has the most, with 12).

Off the ball, however, he is unrelenting. The former Monaco player ran one of the top ten longest distances by a Premier League player in a match this season—12.85 km—against Brighton last month. If Liverpool can use its more technical midfield to win a larger share of possession, the man should expect to log similar mileage on Saturday.

Given that only one City player (Jérémy Doku, with five) has made more tackles in the offensive third than Bernardo’s four, and that he ranks third in terms of opponent pass blocking with eight attempts, the red shirts should anticipate being harassed by Bernardo throughout.

Pep Lijnders, the assistant manager of Liverpool, is already well aware of the magnitude of his influence. According to Lijnders’ book Intensity, which chronicles the two teams’ 2021/22 championship fight, he was afraid as early as September that City wouldn’t lose many games with Bernardo on the field.

Even though Haaland, the top scorer in the Premier League, will undoubtedly require a lot of pre-game tactical attention, it is obvious that Liverpool will also need to figure out a means to minimise Bernardo’s effect if they hope to leave the Etihad with a historic triumph.