Federico Valverde caps superb night for Real Madrid’s understudies as Pep Guardiola gets it wrong | OneFootball

There are performances that are destined for a special place even in a history as rich as Real Madrid’s. Fede Valverde has achieved much in his time at the Bernabeu and may yet end this season lifting the Champions League trophy but this was his night, a seminal, spectacular performance.

Often Real’s deluxe odd-job man, Valverde took on the role of the superstar, glittering on a terrible night for Pep Guardiola.

No Kylian Mbappe, no Jude Bellingham, no Rodrygo? No problem. Valverde more than compensated for the absence of Real’s injured attackers. He took on the mantle of the sidelined Rodrygo, often the tormentor of Manchester City.

He had three goals all season. Indeed, he had three in 75 Champions League appearances. Then came three before half-time.

Stand-in skipper, stand-in scorer, he was outstanding. The first hat-trick of his career was completed with the best of a terrific trio and came in a virtuoso display. “He represents Real Madrid perfectly and will be a leader for a very long time,” said his manager, Alvaro Arbeloa.

An unhappy, and emergency, right-back earlier in the season, Valverde showed the merits of unleashing him in the final third. “He can placy well in every single place,” said Arbeloa. Valverde is one of the great footballing all-rounders of his generation. Here he was a roving right winger, materialising in the middle, timing his runs superbly, forever the elusive man on the move.

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Haaland was totally anonymous, with only one touch in the opposition box (Getty Images)

He left City dumbstruck. “It feels really bad. Now it feels really dark,” said the captain Bernardo Silva. Guardiola added: “A bad result; we cannot deny it.”

There is still a second leg at the Etihad to come but City were eviscerated, and may have been eliminated, by a team featuring plenty of understudies. They had conceded a hat-trick at the Bernabeu last year. But that was to Mbappe, to the man who may be destined for the World Cup scoring records. Not to Valverde. Yet his blend of dynamism and opportunism was stunning.

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Donnarumma made an error for the first goal (Action Images/Reuters)

Guardiola is aware of the regal power of Real Madrid but he can also testify to their resourcefulness. They usually find a way in this competition, often at his expense. They did so this time with a weakened team.

Perhaps that lured Guardiola into a false sense of security. His own selection looked overly bold, with three wingers behind Erling Haaland. Real had no real striker, Valverde operating further forward than usual. That proved a devastating formula.

City were cut open too easily. Real sat off them, then counter-attacked superbly. For the opener, Nico O’Reilly, a scorer in City’s December win at the Bernabeu, misjudged the flight of Thibaut Courtois’ long ball, allowing Valverde to dart in behind him, slip the ball past a sliding Gianluigi Donnarumma and angle a shot into the empty net. Guardiola used to have the goalkeeper who got the assists, in Ederson, but Courtois gave him a taste of his medicine.

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Courtois was barely troubled all night bar an excellent reflex save from O’Reilly (Getty)

Then Valverde went through his repertoire. His second came courtesy of a surge through the inside-left channel to meet Vinicius Junior’s pass, followed a fine finish with his left foot. The third was the best of the lot, Arda Guler chipping the ball into the box, Valverde volleying it past Marc Guehi with his first touch and beating Donnarumma with this second.

Such solace as City could take came courtesy of their goalkeeper. “Three-nil is better than four-nil,” said Guardiola.

It should have been four. Released by Trent Alexander-Arnold, Vinicius escaped behind City’s defence and was felled by Donnarumma. Yet his spot kick was tame and parried by the Italian. Real may have wished the irresistible Valverde took it instead.

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Valverde starred with a first career hat-trick (PA)

Donnarumma also saved from Arda Guler in the second half while Vinicius curled a shot wide. City, in a bind between needing a goal and needing not to concede another, occasionally threatened to reduce the deficit.

Antonio Rudiger celebrated a goal-saving interception to stop Erling Haaland tapping in Antoine Semenyo’s cross. Courtois made a magnificent save from an O’Reilly shot that was in part a tackle on Thiago Pitarch, the teenager otherwise excelling in the biggest game of his life.

Yet the fact the 18-year-old was starting showed how Real’s resources were stretched. For once, they may have been underdogs. “People expected us to get battered tonight,” said Alexander-Arnold.

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Valverde saved his best for last with a sublime 22-minute hat-trick (Getty)

And if that was an exaggeration, the rookie of a manager, in Alvaro Arbeloa, was scarcely expected to outmanoeuvre Guardiola. He did, aided by some of the supposedly lesser lights. “I think we have been a team in capital letters,” said Arbeloa.

Guardiola, whose starting 11 looked too attacking, sounded defensive. “Our game was not as bad as the result,” he said. “My feeling about ourselves is we've done quite a good job but because the score is 3-0 that is a little bit useless.”

His side have beaten Real 4-0 before in a second leg, but not when they needed to. Now that is the requirement. “We’ll try,” pledged Guardiola.

“We will suffer a lot in Manchester,” said Arbeloa. But probably not as much as Valverde made City suffer in Madrid.