Gazeta Esportiva.com
·12 marzo 2026
Valverde hails decisive role in Real Madrid win

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Yahoo sportsGazeta Esportiva.com
·12 marzo 2026

With a hat-trick from Uruguayan midfielder Fede Valverde, Real Madrid defeated Manchester City 3-0 this Wednesday (11th), at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, moving closer to qualification.
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The ‘merengues’ captain, who scored all three goals in the first half (20′, 27′, and 42′), the last one with great skill, was the absolute standout of the match.
“[It was] incredible, we dream of nights like this,” Valverde celebrated in an interview with Movistar. “It had been a long time since I enjoyed a game like this. I’m very happy, but mainly because the team won.”
Second leg
Despite a missed penalty by Vinícius Júnior in the second half, the Spanish team takes a comfortable lead in this recent-years classic of Europe’s top club competition, ahead of the second leg, which will be played next Tuesday at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.
* With content from AFP.
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