Federico Valverde scored 3 goals in the first half, directly sinking Man City according to an unpredictable scenario before the first leg of the round of 16. In the past, Valverde has not never scored in big matches. However, the fact that he alone shoulders the entire Real Madrid is unprecedented.
In the stands, when witnessing the captain directly defeat Man City, stars absent due to injury such as Jude Bellingham or Kylian Mbappe were extremely excited. A disastrous night for Man City against the Spanish representative. The hat-trick of the Uruguayan midfielder reminds me of how Lionel Messi also scored 3 goals against Arsenal in 2010 in just the first 45 minutes of the match.
Valverde's excellence in this match does not stop at scoring 3 goals. Like every other match, the captain of Los Blancos does a lot from defense to attack. He is the one who has supported Trent Alexander-Arnold a lot every time this defender faces Jeremy Doku.
Valverde's excellence partly comes from the fact that he no longer has to adapt to the Xabi Alonso era formation. Alvaro Arbeloa gives Valverde more comfort, so with people who "know what to do" like the 27-year-old star, everything will be ensured in the most meticulous way.
This is the first time Valverde has scored 2 or more goals in a European cup match, it is also the first hat-trick in the career of the Uruguayan midfielder in Real Madrid colors, a very memorable milestone in the career of this star.
This victory is very important for Real Madrid because it is considered to help them put one foot in the quarter-finals. In the context of a seriously weakened force, if they have to play in a do-or-die style with Man City in the second leg, the race in La Liga will be affected when Real has now fallen below Barca.
Although the second leg still contains many dangers at Etihad, the 3-goal lead in the first leg is an undeniable advantage. Man City is no longer as strong as in the previous 2 seasons, so Los Blancos can calculate more in the second leg 1 week later.
They will have a showdown with Elche this weekend before traveling to England next week. After that, Real Madrid will enter the Derby match with Atletico Madrid with the task of winning. Relaxing during this fierce time is very beneficial for Real and the more you look at it, the more important Valverde's hat-trick is.
For coach Alvaro Arbeloa, this is the most spectacular victory since the young coach took over Real Madrid. After losing the top spot in La Liga to arch-rival Barcelona, questions about Arbeloa's future were raised a lot in the Spanish media. Although it is not yet known whether he will go all the way this season or next season, at this time, Arbeloa deserves praise after the past feat.
You all know that the Champions League is very special to us, with the spirit, motivation and will of Real Madrid. In any situation, we always try our best not to ever feel inferior to anyone" - Arbeloa shared.
