Real Madrid in the Champions League is a different beast, and it was shown once again last night. The 15-time champions took on Manchester City in the Round of 16, and despite being the underdogs, Madrid came out on top.
Heading into the game with some notable players like Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo Goes, and more out injured, it was expected that Madrid would crumble against City. However, that wasn’t the case. While the English side had a great early few minutes and it looked like Madrid could be in for a long night at their home ground, things changed quickly as Fede Valverde opened the scoring.
Just seven minutes later, Valverde doubled Real Madrid’s advantage with a low finish. In what was arguably one of the most skillful goals, the Uruguayan completed his hat-trick in the 42nd minute.
Right at the hour mark, it looked like City would plunge further into trouble when Madrid were awarded a penalty after Donnarumma brought down Vinicius Jr. Vincius took the spot-kick himself, but was too casual. Donnarumma dove to his left to save the penalty and saved City from going down 4-0.
Federico Valverde vs Man City
No Mbappe
No Bellingham
No Ridrygo
No Problem!!Valverde hattrick ⚽️⚽️⚽️
Giliran Fede Valverde yang nggendong Real Madrid! pic.twitter.com/RCJgIiZYQo— Siaran Bola Live (@SiaranBolaLive) March 11, 2026
Real Madrid shines once again when the odds are stacked against them
Anyone who’s a football fan knows that Real Madrid can never be counted out. The club is known for pulling off the impossible, and they did it again. While Fede Valverde wrote his name all over the tie, the game was much more than just individual brilliance.
Madrid played like a unit that knew how to kill the giants despite not being at their full strength. The return leg of this fixture is scheduled for next week, and Madrid are heading to Manchester with a great cushion. While Manchester City would certainly look to pull off a comeback, doing it against a side that literally comes alive in the Champions League won’t be easy.
That said, it will be interesting to see how the second leg will play out, but all signs point to Madrid advancing into the quarter finals.
Also Read: Can Kylian Mbappe Become Real Madrid’s Greatest Player?
