Federico Valverde said he had the best night of his career after scoring a sensational hat-trick to help Real Madrid beat Manchester City 3-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie. The Uruguayan midfielder produced a stunning first-half performance at the Santiago Bernabeu to put Real Madrid firmly in control of the match.
There was a sense of uncertainty among Real Madrid fans heading into their clash with Manchester City. The Spanish giants have recently lost two league games and needed a late comeback to beat Celta Vigo at the weekend. After the match, Valverde admitted that the performance was one he had always dreamed of.
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“It’s unbelievable, you always dream of nights like this…I want to thank my teammates who give me the confidence I needed to stay positive, the coaching staff and everyone who supports us even though it’s been a tough season,” he said.
“I really enjoyed today. It’s been a while since I enjoyed a game like this,” added Valverde.
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HOW REAL MADRID STUNNED MAN CITY
Valverde’s remarkable display completely changed the mood at the Bernabeu. The midfielder opened the scoring in the 20th minute after rounding goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and calmly finishing into the net.
He doubled the lead seven minutes later with a powerful left-footed strike that flew past the keeper to put Real Madrid in full control of the game.
Valverde completed his hat-trick in spectacular fashion in the 42nd minute. He delicately lifted the ball over defender Marco Guehi before curling a right-footed volley into the bottom corner to cap off a fine first-half performance.
Real Madrid could have made it four before the break when Vinicius Junior won a penalty after being brought down by Donnarumma. However, the Italian goalkeeper redeemed himself when he saved the Brazilian’s spot-kick.
The result gives Real Madrid a commanding three-goal lead going into next week’s second leg at the Etihad Stadium. The winner of the tie is expected to face Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
VALVERDE JOINS REAL MADRID’S ELITE LIST
Valverde’s hat-trick also placed him among an exclusive group of Real Madrid players.
The Uruguayan became only the fourth Madrid player to score a hat-trick before half-time in the Champions League or the old European Cup.
In the Champions League era, Kylian Mbappe has previously achieved success for the club. Before him, Hector Rial and the legendary Ferenc Puskas did it in the European Cup era.
Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa praised Valverde after the match.
“It doesn’t matter where you put him. He is the prototype of the 21st century footballer, the representative of Madridismo, everything a Real Madrid player should be. And he deserves such a magical night that he will never forget.”
Valverde now joins Raul, Ronaldo Nazario, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior among players who have scored a Champions League hat-trick for Real Madrid.
Cristiano Ronaldo still holds the club record with seven Champions League hat-tricks, while Karim Benzema has four and Mbappe three.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
12 March 2026 08:21 IST
