Federico Valverde scored a fabulous first-half hat trick as Real Madrid stunned Manchester City by winning 3-0 in their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 first leg at Santiago Bernabéu.
The Uruguayan midfielder found the net three times in 22 minutes to hand Álvaro Arbeloa a statement win as Madrid head coach and put the Spanish giants on course to reach the last eight ahead of next week’s second leg at the Etihad Stadium.
It would have been even better for Arbeloa, appointed as Xabi Alonso’s replacement in January, had he not seen Vinícius Júnior squander the chance to score a fourth when his second-half penalty was saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
City had opportunities to get back into the tie and Thibaut Courtois pulled off a point-blank reaction save to deny Nico O’Reilly.
In the absence of key players including Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo, Courtois played his part, but it was Valverde who proved the difference between the two teams.
His first goal — at the time against the run of play — came courtesy of a long ball forward from Courtois, his second thanks to a cool finish from the left side of the penalty area and his third after a world-class touch to nudge the ball around Marc Guéhi on what turned into another famous Champions League night for Real Madrid.—ESPN
