Football
Richard Jolly, ESPN.com writer 9y

Manchester City's Fernando wants to learn from Chelsea's Nemanja Matic

Manchester City's Fernando has said he has been watching Chelsea star Nemanja Matic in attempt to learn from his fellow defensive midfielder.

Fernando and Matic's paths crossed in Portugal when the Brazilian played for Porto and the Serb for Benfica, and they will renew their rivalry in the crunch clash at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Fernando, 26, believes Matic is the last of a dying breed as a specialist stopper in midfield, and hopes he can take parts of the Chelsea player's game and incorporate them into his own.

"It's a specific position and one that is really important for every team all over the world," he told national newspapers.

"I played against Matic in Portugal several times and he is a really great player. He has so much quality.

"There are not many players like him left now, I think, but he is one of those I try to look at and learn from as I try to improve the way I play that role.

#INSERT type:image caption:Nemanja Matic 'has so much quality,' says Fernando. END#

"He is a player that has become incredibly important to Chelsea. I always try to watch these players in this position because there are so few left. I know I can learn from them."

Fernando, who joined City last summer, has had a mixed start to his career in England and said it had been at times been difficult to adapt to the Premier League.

He added: "The players here are always running. It is a very physical, very strong sort of football. It is very intense and I have suffered a bit because of that as I try to adapt.

"But I am quite a physical player, a player who likes that part of the game, marking players, to help out his team, to provide support to the players in front of me.

"That was what made me want to take the opportunity to see if I had the characteristics that suit English football."

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