Barcelona icon astonished by Real Madrid’s display vs Man City: ‘Pains me to say it… but well done’ | OneFootball

The impressive 3-0 victory of Real Madrid over Manchester City in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 caught many observers off guard.

Even former Barcelona striker Thierry Henry admitted he did not expect the Spanish side to produce such a dominant performance at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Speaking on CBS Sports Golazo after the match, the French legend acknowledged that Real Madrid deserved full credit for the display despite his well-known connection to Barcelona.

“It was a special night in the Champions League. As everyone knows, I’m a big Barça fan, but you have to give Madrid a lot of credit. No one saw it coming,” he explained.

Valverde’s unexpected heroics

One of the biggest surprises of the match was the performance of Federico Valverde, who scored the first hat-trick of his career to lead Real Madrid to victory.

Henry admitted that even the most optimistic Real Madrid supporters would not have predicted such a performance from the midfielder.

“No one saw Valverde scoring a hat-trick. Anyone who says Valverde was going to score a hat trick is a liar, but I want to talk about the collective effort they put in today. 

“That’s how you win games. Everyone defended for everyone else. And Valverde will get his reward. Because he has always served the club well. 

“Scoring three goals is not something that happens to him often. Or actually, it had never happened to him before,” he added.

Praise for Thiago Pitarch

Henry also highlighted the performance of young Thiago Pitarch, who impressed with his work rate and commitment during the match.

According to the former Arsenal and Barcelona striker, the young player’s effort throughout the game was particularly noticeable.

“I want to talk about… I don’t know how to say his name, Pitarch. Because I watched him closely tonight. What a great game he played. He ran for everyone.”

Real Madrid’s Champions League aura

Henry also joked about the unique aura that Real Madrid seem to carry whenever they play in the Champions League.

He suggested that there is something special about the club’s shirt on European nights.

“I don’t know what they put on that shirt. I really don’t. Obviously, what I’m about to say is a joke because I don’t want to wear that shirt, but maybe if I did, it would help me grow my hair back. 

“They put something on it. When they play in the Champions League, I don’t know what it is,” he joked.

The Frenchman went on to explain that playing for Real Madrid in the Champions League carries a different kind of pressure and identity.

“I said at the start of the game that it’s a heavy shirt to wear, and then you have to fight against a team that has won that competition. It’s not easy. 

“I know it’s a heavy shirt, but I don’t know why, when they put it on, the players seem different. It’s different.”

“So we have to give them credit for that. Because with that team, right now in the first leg, I didn’t expect that from Real Madrid. 

“So, even though it pains me to say it… well done,” he concluded.