Federico Valverde shone brightly with a hat-trick right in the first half, helping Real Madrid surprise when defeating Manchester City 3-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
The Uruguayan midfielder scored 3 goals in just 22 minutes, bringing an impressive victory for coach Alvaro Arbeloa and helping the Royal team take a big advantage before the second leg at the Etihad Stadium next week.
Real Madrid could even have won more heavily if Vinicius Junior had not missed a penalty in the second half when he was saved by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
On Man City's side, the away team also had a chance to narrow the score, but goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois excellently saved Nico O'Reilly's shot.
In the context of Real Madrid lacking a series of key players such as Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo due to injury, Courtois still completed his task well in goal. However, Valverde was the one who made the biggest difference.
Valverde's opening goal came from Courtois' accurate long pass, before he accelerated, passed O'Reilly and calmly defeated Donnarumma. The second goal came from a cold-blooded finish in the penalty area after a smart move. The third goal was a classy moment when he neatly controlled the ball and then lobbed the ball over Marc Guehi before completing a hat-trick.
Valverde shines when Real Madrid lacks Mbappe
Without Mbappe and Bellingham due to injury, Real Madrid needs a star to stand up and shoulder the responsibility of scoring goals. Before the match, many people expected Vinicius to be the name to make a difference.
The Brazilian player played quite actively and earned a penalty, but he could not take advantage of it successfully. Instead, Valverde became the focus of the match.
Before this match, the Uruguayan midfielder only had 3 goals in the Champions League in his entire career. After 45 minutes at the Bernabeu, that number has doubled.
The first goal showed abundant energy when Valverde fiercely contested with O'Reilly before rushing up to finish. In the second goal, he moved intelligently like a real striker to receive a pass and score. Meanwhile, the third goal was a technical moment when Valverde perfectly controlled the ball and then crossed over Guehi before finishing.
Valverde's previous season was quite special. At the beginning of the season, he was once pulled down by coach Xabi Alonso to play right-back, a position that did not really satisfy him. The Uruguayan midfielder was even criticized for his lack of enthusiasm in a Champions League match.
However, when Arbeloa took over the team, he quickly restored Valverde to his familiar midfielder position. The Spanish coach even praised his student as the perfect role model for a Real Madrid player.
In the match against Man City, Arbeloa used Valverde in the role of a strong attacking right winger, a position that once helped him shine under Carlo Ancelotti. And that decision was rewarded with one of the best performances of the season.
I always try to adapt to the coach's ideas. I have played in many different positions, not only in midfield, but I always try to dedicate myself to the team" - Valverde shared after the match.
What does this victory mean for Arbeloa and Real Madrid?
A few days before the match, Spanish media said that Arbeloa needed a miracle to continue leading Real Madrid next season. And in that context, a miracle could almost only be the Champions League title.
Real Madrid is still a long way from European titles, but the 3-0 victory over Man City is definitely the most impressive result since Arbeloa took over. This is also the first match that he can use as evidence of the team's progress and shows that Real Madrid is gradually forming a clearer playing style.
Under Alonso before that, Los Blancos once lost to Man City 1-2 at home in December. At that time, although not completely inferior, the Royal team was still controlled by Pep Guardiola's army. However, in the latest match, after about 20 minutes of quite slow progress, Real Madrid gradually gained the upper hand and played more dominantly, while Man City also could not show their best form.
According to Arbeloa, this is exactly the way his Real Madrid needs to play: decisive, intense, ready to play directly when necessary and give opportunities to players who have grown up from the club's training academy.
One of the highlights of the match was Thiago Pitarch, an 18-year-old midfielder who started for the first time in the Champions League. This young player impressed in 76 minutes of play before making a mistake leading to a dangerous situation, forcing Thibaut Courtois to show his talent to save.
However, Pitarch still received support from his teammates and coaching staff. When he left the field, the person who was brought in to replace him was also a player who grew up from Real Madrid academy - Manuel Angel (21 years old).
Arbeloa understands the club's youth training system very well and he is proving that the praise for the Real Madrid academy is not just empty words.
Despite the difficult season, Real Madrid is still ranked second in La Liga, 4 points behind the top team. At the same time, the victory over Man City also helps them get very close to the Champions League quarter-finals, where potential opponents are likely to be Bayern Munich.
