New Delhi: With Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé and Rodrygo missing from the line-up due to injuries, Manchester City arguably entered as favourites against Real Madrid in their Round-of-16 UEFA Champions League clash on Wednesday.
Pep Guardiola’s side looked every bit the favourites — at least in the opening minutes.
Jérémy Doku burst into life almost immediately. The Belgian winger tore down the flank with a series of marauding runs, each sending a ripple of panic through Madrid’s penalty area.
Defenders scrambled, the crowd gasped, and City sensed blood. Doku was just getting started, sizing up Trent Alexander-Arnold — and that certainly was bad news for the Englishman.
Then entered Federico Valverde.
The Uruguayan, who would steal the night with a hat-trick, snuffed out City’s attempts to break through by consistently doubling up with his defensively frail teammate. He did so for most of the match.
A few minutes later, he delivered at the other end too. Collecting a glorious long ball from custodian Thibaut Courtois, he sped past marker Nico O’Reilly before rounding Gianluigi Donnarumma — sucker punch delivered.
That marked the beginning of a 22-minute hat-trick that had class written all over it.
Soon, the “little bird” — a nickname he earned for his lanky frame during his teenage years — spread his wings. He got his second in the 27th minute after latching onto a deflected pass from Vinícius Júnior, who had dribbled in from the left, finishing with a deft left-footed strike across Donnarumma.
His two quickfire goals were the fastest by a Real Madrid player in a Champions League knockout match at the Bernabéu since Cristiano Ronaldo’s early double against Wolfsburg in April 2016.
But nothing captured the night better than his third goal. A clever scoop from Brahim Díaz at the edge of the area saw Valverde take a Bergkamp-like first touch to flick the ball over Marc Guehi before volleying it in. And that was that. Valverde owned the night. The midfielder’s hat-trick left the visitors feeling immured at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium as the game wore on.
Omnipresent
From recoveries to tackles to goals, he seemed to be everywhere, hardly putting a foot wrong throughout the match.
The performance was so magnificent that L’Équipe, the renowned French newspaper, handed him a rare 10/10 rating. Praise has been pouring in ever since.
However, it wasn’t always like this. The 27-year-old has been part of Madrid’s first team for nearly a decade and has often gone under the radar for his services.
Playing in the shadows of illustrious predecessors like Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos and Casemiro didn’t help either.
Under them, he developed a patina as a utility player. Now Madrid’s captain, his versatility, knack for long-rangers and relentless running have become invaluable assets. He can slot in at left- or right-back, operate as a defensive midfielder or push forward in attack — wherever the team needs him.
This season too, he is the only outfield player to have logged the most minutes for Madrid. Now in his prime, it is fair to say Valverde has finally shed the “underrated” tag. Nights like these don’t just underline his importance to Real Madrid — they confirm that he has grown from a dependable workhorse into one of the defining midfielders of his generation.