Valverde Scores Hat-Trick, Real Madrid Rout Manchester City 3-0 in Champions League

Real Madrid delivered a dominant 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the Champions League Round of 16 first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, with Federico Valverde the standout performer.

“Advertisement Real Madrid tore Manchester City apart (3-0) in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, with a historic performance from Fede Valverde, who scored three goals against Donnarumma”

Antena 3

The result is recorded as Real Madrid 3 - 0 Manchester City and was widely described as a Madrid masterclass at the Bernabéu, leaving the Spanish side in control of the tie after the first leg.

Antena 3

Federico Valverde scored an extraordinary hat-trick in a historic first half that effectively decided the tie early on.

Multiple outlets emphasised that the Uruguayan "netted three goals in a historic first half" and that his performance powered Real Madrid's decisive lead, with commentators calling it an "unreal" and "resounding" display.

BBC

Key moments swung the match further in Madrid's favour: Real were awarded a penalty after a counter saw Vinícius through on goal, but the Brazilian missed as Donnarumma saved the spot-kick; later, Thibaut Courtois produced a goal-line stop after a defensive mistake.

“Real Madrid,dirigido porÁlvaro Arbeloa,derrotó 3-0 aManchester Cityeste miércoles 11 de marzo de 2026 en el EstadioSantiago Bernabéude Madrid, en el partido de ida de los octavos de final de la UEFA Champions League 2025/2026, gracias a un hat-trick del uruguayo Federico Valverde antes del descanso, dejando una renta de tres goles para la vuelta en el Etihad Stadium”

El Diario Ecuador

Those interventions — both the missed chance that spared City and Courtois's remarkable block — were highlighted as pivotal events in the live coverage.

Manchester City struggled to find rhythm and were described as badly affected; Guardiola's side appeared disjointed at times, with Haaland singled out for a poor game.

Coverage noted bright moments for City but framed the overall performance as insufficient to match Real Madrid on the night, while Real's organization and key interventions kept the scoreline secure.

ESdiario

Looking ahead, the first-leg win leaves Real Madrid with a significant advantage before the return at the Etihad, though the tie is not closed.

“Champions League | Round of 16 first leg: The unreal Fede Valverde scores a hat-trick and Real Madrid sweep Manchester City Kylian Mbappé wasn't there”

Eurosport

Reports emphasised that Madrid "will travel to Manchester with a big advantage" and that the Bernabéu result dealt "a serious blow to the tie" ahead of next week's second leg.

Eurosport