What a first half from Real’s captain Fede Valverde. The Uruguayan scored three goals in just one half during the Champions League Round of 16 first leg against Manchester City. How many times has that happened in his career before?
Not at all. This is his first professional hat-trick. This fact becomes even more astonishing when we consider that Valverde had only scored three goals in his entire Champions League career (75 matches) before this. Perhaps that’s also why Pep Guardiola seemed at a loss.
📸 Angel Martinez – 2026 Getty Images
While the Bernabéu stood up for Valverde after 45 minutes, Pep looked completely bewildered on the pitch. Will the football mastermind find an answer to Valverde’s world-class performance in the first half?
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.
