📸 Real Madrid captain steps up with stunning hat-trick vs. Man City
· Yahoo Sports
Real Madrid are firmly in charge of their Champions League round of 16 tie against Manchester City courtesy of a first-half hat-trick from Federico Valverde.
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He opened the scoring at the Bernabéu after 20 minutes after he latched on to a long ball from Thibaut Courtois and beat both the defender and the goalkeeper before finishing from a tight angle.
Seven minutes later, he was in for his second of the night after being found by a through ball from VinĂcius JĂşnior.
Before the break, he completed his hat-trick by beating Gianluigi Donnarumma from close range to round off another solid move from the home side.
Tonight's goals mean Valverde has not only scored scored his first-ever Champions League hat-trick on his 76th appearance in the competition, but also his first in a Real Madrid shirt.
Even more impressive is that the Uruguayan has stepped up in the absence of Rodrygo, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé - who have so often been Real Madrid's standouts on the European stage.
He also joins Lionel Messi as one of two players in Champions League history to score a first-half hat-trick against an English opponent.
Can Man City muster up a response, or will Real Madrid cruise through these two legs and into the quarter-finals?