The time of truth arrived for Real Madrid in the Champions League in the first leg of the round of 16 against Manchester City and Fede Valverde appeared in all his splendour. The Uruguayan was the great protagonist of the white team with three great goals in the first half, each one better than the last.

federico valverde. pic.twitter.com/84JkWBlSyo

— َ (@valkr8s) March 11, 2026

In the 20th minute, the Uruguayan picked up a long ball from Courtois on the right to be left alone and score into an empty net after a mistimed run from Donnarumma. The goal gave Real Madrid wings, as they had been starting to suffer against the English side's attacking play. The goal changed the mood of the team and of the Santiago Bernabeu, which once again remembered the great European nights.

Valverde might score a career hattrick before Bukayo Saka😭😭pic.twitter.com/DNwsM16INW

— Connor (@Connor_LFC8) March 11, 2026

In the 27th minute, the Uruguayan again found the net with a cross shot, this time from the other corner of the area, infiltrating between City's defenders in a position that did a lot of damage to Guardiola's side. With the stadium in a frenzy, the third goal came before the break in a high-class move, with a chipped pass from Brahim that Valverde collected to lob his marker and beat Donnarumma again.

UNBELIEVABLE. WHAT AN INCREDIBLE NIGHT. FEDE VALVERDE HAS COMPLETED A HAT‑TRICK IN JUST 42 MINUTES!

🇪🇺 Real Madrid 3-0 Manchester Cityhttps://t.co/YHa7Vhl6YJ

— Goals Xtra (@GoalsXtra) March 11, 2026

The play confirmed that it was the Uruguayan's night, one for the club's and the competition's history books. It was a stellar performance that broke all previous predictions and left everyone in awe. The flight of Real Madrid's Falcon was more splendid than ever.