"The Uruguayan midfielder found the net three times in 22 minutes to hand Álvaro Arbeloa a statement win as Madrid head coach and put the Spanish giants on course to reach the last eight ahead of next week's second leg at the Etihad Stadium."
"His first goal -- at the time against the run of play -- came courtesy of a long ball forward from Courtois, his second thanks to a cool finish from the left side of the penalty area and his third after a world-class touch to nudge the ball around Marc Guéhi on what turned into another famous Champions League night for Real Madrid."
"In the absence of key players including Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo, Courtois played his part, but it was Valverde who proved the difference between the two teams."
Real Madrid delivered a dominant performance against Manchester City in their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 first leg, winning 3-0 at Santiago Bernabéu. Federico Valverde, the Uruguayan midfielder, scored three goals in just 22 minutes, establishing Madrid's commanding position ahead of the second leg at the Etihad Stadium. New head coach Álvaro Arbeloa secured an impressive statement victory in his early tenure. Despite missing key players including Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Rodrygo, Madrid's attacking prowess proved decisive. Vinícius Júnior had a penalty saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma in the second half, while goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made crucial saves to preserve the clean sheet.
Read at ESPN.com
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