Real Madrid 3-0 Manchester City: Valverde 20, 27, 42
By half time Real Madrid were feasting on the ruins of Manchester City but this game should be remembered mainly as a solo-show for Federico Valverde. The Uruguayan’s incredible 22-minute hat-trick dismantled Pep Guardiola’s side and left them on the brink of an exit in the Champions League last-16.
If Vinicius Junior had converted a second-half penalty rather than seeing his effort saved, the aggregate scoreline would perhaps have reflected the true chasm between these sides. But even so, it is difficult to see how City come back from this this season.
Not that City were particularly bad here. A refreshed Erling Haaland was back in the side and Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo were given a run from the start in what resembled a 4-2-4, with Rodri and Bernardo Silva the midfield two.
City controlled the early stages and looked the side who would take the initial lead, before Thibaut Courtois’ searching long pass found Valverde bolting down the right. Nico O’Reilly was guilty of not staying close to his man, and then underestimating him as the ball dropped. With an excellent first touch Valverde took it past the left back and was then one-on-one with Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Another superb touch and he had tipped the ball round the goalkeeper, before recovering to finish into an empty net from an acute angle.
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) March 11, 2026
City’s vulnerability was tested and they had chunks of it. Seven minutes later, Vinicius ran down their left channel on the counter attack, his pass getting through to Valverde, who unloaded past Donnarumma and into the far corner. Two-nil.
The best was saved for the last. Vinicius again exploited space down the left, feeding Diaz on the opposite side of City’s box. The winger chipped the ball over to Valverde in front of the six-yard box, inviting Marc Guehi to intercept. But as the City man lunged without thought Valverde lofted the ball above him, before volleying into the bottom left corner.
Madrid should have been up four-nil when Vinicius was clipped by Abdukodir Khusanov inside the box, but the Brazilian was too casual at the highest level and his tame and technically weak penalty was saved by Donnarumma, offering City respite, and hope.
