Vinicius Junior quietly etched his name into Real Madrid CF history during their commanding victory over Manchester City FC in the UEFA Champions League. The Brazilian winger equaled the record previously held by club icon Cristiano Ronaldo on a memorable night at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid beat Manchester City 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie, putting them in a strong position ahead of the second leg. While the spotlight has largely fallen Federico Valverde, who scored a sensational hat-trick, Vinicius quietly reached his own historical milestone.
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The Brazilian winger had an assist on Madrid’s second goal of the night. His pass to Valverde took a slight deflection before reaching the target, but it still counted as a crucial contribution that helped the midfielder double Madrid’s advantage.
The assist took Vinicius to 31 assists for Real Madrid in the Champions League, leveling him with Ronaldo as the club’s joint-highest assist provider in the competition. Considering the legacy Ronaldo has built at Madrid, this milestone puts Vinicius in elite company.
VALVERDE HATTRICK STUNS MAN CITY
While Vinicius celebrated a personal best, the night ultimately belonged to Valverde, who produced one of the most explosive performances of his career.
The Uruguayan midfielder stunned Manchester City by scoring three goals in the first half. His clinical finish ensured Madrid were firmly in control of the tie before the break.
He opened the scoring in the 20th minute after a calm finish to a well-worked move by Valverde. Just seven minutes later, he struck again with a powerful left-footed strike, leaving the goalkeeper without a chance.
He completed his hat-trick in the 42nd minute with a superb volley after cleverly controlling the ball and creating space for the finish.
Vinicius also had an opportunity to extend Madrid’s lead further. The Brazilian stepped up to kick himself after winning the penalty. However, Gianluigi Donnarumma made a sharp save to deny him.
The error marked Vinicius’ second missed penalty in the Champions League for Real Madrid. Interestingly, Ronaldo has missed two penalties in the competition during his time at the club. However, the difference is in the number of attempts. Ronaldo has saved 16 penalties for Madrid in the Champions League, while Vinicius has only taken four so far.
Despite the missed chance, Madrid’s dominance was never really threatened. The 3-0 result also matched one of the heaviest first-leg defeats suffered by Pep Guardiola in a Champions League knockout tie.
With a three-goal cushion heading into the second leg at the Etihad Stadium, Real Madrid now have a strong tie advantage as they aim to secure their place in the quarter-finals. Vinicius, meanwhile, continues to add milestones to what constitutes a remarkable Real Madrid career.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
March 12, 2026 12:01 PM IST
