"There was a lot of the noise when the draw happened and leading up to this game. Especially with how we've been playing the last few games, and the results we've had. A lot of people just expected us to get battered tonight. But we showed the mentality. It doesn't matter what injuries you've got, what players are out. This competition means a lot to the club and us as players understand that."
"We executed the gameplan perfectly in the first half. People will say that they're favourites, and going off results and the way both teams have been playing, it could have been true. But when you get to knockout football in the Champions League, anyone can beat anyone. We scored our goals very very ruthlessly."
Real Madrid secured a dominant 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the Champions League round of 16 first leg at the Bernabéu. Federico Valverde scored a stunning first-half hat trick, establishing Madrid's control early. The result was particularly impressive given widespread expectations that Madrid would struggle, especially considering their recent inconsistent form under coach Álvaro Arbeloa and numerous key player absences including Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Éder Militão. Trent Alexander-Arnold highlighted the team's strong mentality and perfectly executed gameplan as crucial factors in the victory. The only disappointment came when Vinícius Júnior missed a second-half penalty. Madrid faces Manchester City again next week in the second leg.
Read at ESPN.com
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