Real Madrid midfielder matches Lionel Messi’s record after stunning performance vs Man City | OneFootball

Federico Valverde delivered one of the most memorable performances of his career as Real Madrid defeated Manchester City 3-0 in the UEFA Champions League round of 16.

The Uruguayan midfielder produced a remarkable first-half display at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, scoring all three goals to give Real Madrid a commanding advantage heading into the second leg.

Valverde’s performance not only secured a major result for Real Madrid but also placed his name among some of the biggest stars in Champions League history.

Three remarkable goals

The breakthrough came early in the match. In the 20th minute, Valverde opened the scoring with an impressive individual effort. 

Just eight minutes later, the midfielder doubled Real Madrid’s advantage and the third goal, which completed the hat-trick before halftime, was arguably the most spectacular. 

In the 43rd minute, Brahim Diaz played a clever pass into the box. Valverde controlled the ball with a brilliant sombrero over Marc Guehi and, without letting it drop, finished perfectly to beat Donnarumma once again.

What’s the story?

Scoring three goals in the first half of a Champions League knockout match is an extremely rare achievement. 

Valverde is now in the history books. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

According to AS, with this performance, Valverde joined a very exclusive group of players who have managed the same feat.

The list includes legendary names such as Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, Erling Haaland and Anthony Gordon.

Valverde also entered another remarkable list connected to teams coached by Pep Guardiola. 

Over the years, only a handful of players have managed to score a hat-trick against a Guardiola side.

That group includes famous names such as Sergio Aguero, Messi, Jamie Vardy, Christopher Nkunku, Viktor Gyokeres and Kylian Mbappe.

What makes Valverde’s achievement even more impressive is that he becomes the first midfielder among these players to accomplish this feat.