Manchester United fullback Alex Telles says he knows the importance of the derby against Manchester City.
Telles reflected on making his debut for Internazionale in the Milan derby and discussed the derby mentality back in his homeland.
"In Brazil, we say that you don't play in derbies you win them, so we'll definitely go into the game with this mentality," he declared.
“It's certainly an important game and an important milestone in my career. I know how historically important the derby game is. You go into derbies to win. As always, it's important that we respect the opposition. We know that derbies are decided on small details and the best-prepared team will win.
"Thank God, I've won most of the derbies I've played in, had more victories, which is a positive for me," he added.
"As I said before, my memories of derbies were that all of them were decided by small details. Like all games, concentration and focus are important in derbies, so levels need to be consistent. I'm happy to have had this experience of playing in derbies as it helps in future derby games.
“I remember [for the Milan derby], I was in the hotel the day before, really looking forward to the game. I came on about 20 or 25 minutes into the second half. It was at the Giuseppe Meazza, the San Siro Stadium. It was a very special moment for me, even more so with the victory, it was really worth it.
"I've watched the [Manchester] derby on a few occasions, including last season when United won. I've got really good expectations. We'd obviously prefer to have our fans in the stadium with us, to drive us on and motivate us, but our expectations are great as we know the quality of our team, we know the quality of the opposition as well, that's why we'll go into the game strong and focused on doing our best."
