Real Madrid produced a dominant display as a brilliant first-half hat trick from Federico Valverde powered the Spanish giants to a convincing 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 clash on Wednesday.
Heading into the match at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, there were doubts among Madrid supporters.
The club is adjusting to a new and relatively untested coach, had recently suffered back-to-back league defeats, and only scraped past Celta Vigo last weekend thanks to a late deflected winner.
However, Valverde quickly erased those concerns with a sensational performance, becoming the first Uruguayan to score a hat trick in the Champions League.
The midfielder opened the scoring in the 20th minute, finishing a rapid counterattack after rounding goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma with a delicate touch.
Seven minutes later, Valverde struck again. After receiving a pass from Vinícius Júnior, he fired a low left-footed shot into the net to double Madrid’s advantage.
The 25-year-old completed his remarkable treble shortly before halftime. A clever chipped pass from Brahim Díaz found Valverde, who lifted the ball past defender Marc Guéhi before volleying beyond Donnarumma to make it 3-0.
“It’s incredible, nights like this are what every player dreams of,” Valverde said after the match, crediting his teammates and coaching staff for their support during what he described as a challenging season.
Madrid could have extended their lead in the second half when Vinícius won a penalty after being fouled by Donnarumma, but the Italian goalkeeper redeemed himself by saving the Brazilian’s spot kick.
City had started the match brightly, with Antoine Semenyo testing Thibaut Courtois early on. Jérémy Doku caused problems down the flank, while Bernardo Silva and Nico O’Reilly also threatened.
Despite those efforts, Madrid’s ruthless counterattacks proved decisive.
In the second half, Erling Haaland nearly pulled one back for City, but a crucial intervention from Antonio Rüdiger denied the striker. Courtois also made a key save to stop O’Reilly.
City now face an uphill task when the teams meet again in the return leg in Manchester next Tuesday, with Pep Guardiola needing a major turnaround to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
The defeat capped a miserable two days for English clubs in the Spanish capital after Tottenham Hotspur were thrashed 5-2 by Atlético Madrid on Tuesday.
