Real Madrid made the most of their home-field advantage delivering a dominant performance to defeat Manchester City 3–0 at the Santiago Bernabeu at 2026 Champions League Round of 16 first leg. Federico Valverde stole the show, scoring a hat-trick in the opening 45 minutes to give the Spanish giants a commanding aggregate lead.
The Cityzens actually began the match with higher intensity, creating more offensive pressure than the hosts in the early stages. However, Real Madrid struck first in the 20th minute when Valverde clinically finished a spectacular long-range assist from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
From that moment on, it was all Real Madrid. The Uruguayan midfielder, playing with supreme confidence, capitalized on every attacking opportunity. Before the break, Valverde found the net twice more to complete the first first-half hat-trick of his career.
In the second half, a deflated Manchester City struggled to mount a comeback, finding it difficult to penetrate the disciplined Madrid defense. The Merengues had a golden opportunity to add a fourth, but Vinicius Jr. missed from the penalty spot, leaving the final score at 3–0. Pep Guardiola’s side now faces a mountain to climb in the return leg at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, March 17.
