Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Man City: Masterful Valverde Tears Citizens Apart

The Spanish giants have the overwhelming edge heading into the second leg at the Etihad.

Fede Valverde put in a masterful performance on Wednesday night. | Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press/Getty Images

A sensational first-half hat trick from Federico Valverde led Real Madrid to a 3–0 victory over Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16.

Los Blancos came into the all-important fixture weighed down by injuries and a recent string of poor results, but they looked far from a floundering team on Wednesday night. The 15-time European champions played with intensity and a hunger they have often lacked this season, all led by a stunning performance from their captain.

Valverde came into the fixture with three career Champions League goals and by the final whistle, he doubled his tally. The midfielder opened the scoring in 20th minute, bagged his brace seven minutes later and then completed his hat trick in the 42nd minute to stun Man City.

Real Madrid could have gone 4–0 up, but Vinicius Junior saw his penalty saved in the second half. Still, even the blunder could not mar what was another magical Champions League night at the Bernabéu.

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One Thing We Can’t Ignore

Fede Valverde had a night for the ages. | Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP/Getty Images

Valverde is no stranger to big Champions League nights. At 27 years old, the Uruguayan already has two Champions League titles in his trophy cabinet. Yet he is always the underrated player in white, the unsung hero on a team of bigger names and bigger stars.

That narrative extraordinarily changed on Wednesday night. Valverde completely took over, writing his own chapter in the club’s extensive European lore. The fans packing out the Bernabéu would have sung the praises of their captain just for his first goal, when he cheekily got around a rash Gianluigi Donnarumma to slot home a calm finish from a tight angle.

But then came goals two and three. Valverde smashed a first-time strike—with his weaker left foot—into the bottom right corner of the net to put Real Madrid up 2–0. Not content with just a brace, the captain soon bagged his hat trick on the brink of halftime, making a mockery of Marc Guéhi in the process.

In a game where Real Madrid were missing their best goalscorer in Kylian Mbappé and their best playmaker in Jude Bellingham, Valverde stepped up to produce nothing short of a magical performance, one that will go down in history if the team somehow makes an unexpected run in the Champions League this season.

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Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Man City (4-4-2)

Real Madrid stunned Manchester City at the Bernabéu. | Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Thibaut Courtois—8.8: No denying he is the best in the world. As if his exceptional performance between the posts, which included a brilliant save to deny Nico O’Reilly in the 75th minute, was not enough, he assisted Valverde’s opening goal with a pinpoint ball over the top.

RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold—7.4: A redemptive outing that earned him a standing ovation. Never let Jérémy Doku get the better of him. Still lacking accuracy on many of his deliveries when going forward.

CB: Antonio Rüdiger—7.3: Celebrated like he scored when he denied what would have been a clear goal from Antoine Semenyo in the 68th minute. Managed to play with an edge without committing any reckless blunders.

CB: Dean Huijsen—7.1: Showed why Real Madrid splashed cash to bring the youngster to the Bernabéu this season. Played like he knew the opponent well—because he does—and never let Erling Haaland get in behind him.

LB: Ferland Mendy—7.1: Bodied Savinho for the entirety of the first half. Came off at halftime due to fitness concerns, an unfortunate yet expected outcome after starting two games in a row.

RM: Federico Valverde—9.7: His best performance in a white shirt. Bagged a sensational first-half hat trick, covered every blade of grass and was every bit the captain the team needed.

CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—7.2: Will breathe a sigh of relief that he did not need to play hero. Handled his defensive duties with little fanfare.

CM: Arda Güler—7.6: Still did not do enough to warrant a place in the XI once Jude Bellingham returns, but put in his best outing in recent memory. Hardly misplaced a pass, defended hard and created one mouthwatering chance.

LM: Thiago Pitarch—6.4: Bloomed under the bright lights in a high-pressure moment. Will be remembered for his defensive contributions to help Alexander-Arnold handle Doku.

ST: Brahim Díaz—7.6: Repaid his manager for a rare start by setting up Valverde’s third goal. Came to life in transition.

ST: Vinicius Junior—7.3: Had Man City’s defense reeling every time he drove forward. Could have put the tie firmly to bed from the spot, but saw his effort—a penalty he won—saved. Still tallied an assist on the night.

SUB: Fran García (46’ for Mendy)—6.8: Looked like a liability inside his own half at times, but otherwise, a solid showing from a player who had previously played just one minute in Real Madrid’s last 10 games.

SUB: Eduardo Camavinga (70’ for Güler)—6.7: Came on to shore-up his team’s defense and did so with poise. Executed a brilliant tackle on Doku inside his own box.

SUB: Franco Mastantuono (76’ for Díaz)—5.9: Had little chances to go forward.

SUB: Manuel Ángel (76’ for Pitarch)—6.3: Calm as you like until he gave up a dangerous free kick in the dying stages.

SUB: Dani Carvajal (83’ for Alexander-Arnold)—N/A

Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), Fran González (GK), Diego Aguado, Raúl Asencio, César Palacios, Jorge Cestero, Gonzalo García.

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What the Ratings Tell Us

Brahim Díaz (right) showed out in a rare start. | Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

• With so many injuries hampering his squad, Álvaro Arbeloa opted to start Brahim Díaz over Gonzalo García and Franco Mastantuono up top. The Morocco international played his role to perfection; his link-up play, creativity and exceptional work rate earned him the starting job moving forward.
• Ferland Mendy might have only lasted 45 minutes, but he showed why he was commanded the left flank for so many years at Real Madrid. The Frenchman’s return to form puts the pressure on Álvaro Carreras, but only if he can stay fit.
• As exceptional as Vinicius Jr is on the biggest of stages, he is rather unreliable from the spot as of late. The Brazilian notoriously missed a penalty against Atlético Madrid in last season’s round of 16 and now again on Wednesday night. It’s no wonder Kylian Mbappé is the team’s undisputed penalty taker.

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The Numbers That Explain Real Madrid’s Triumphant Win

Vinicius Junior (left) and Fede Valverde led Real Madrid to victory. | Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

• Unlike so many other times this season, Real Madrid was not content to sit back. They took the game to Man City and mustered 12 shots on the night—seven of which were on target—to keep the visitors on their toes.
• Los Blancos admirably defended Man City’s 10 corners and did not let the Premier League side punish them on set pieces.
• Real Madrid played with an aggressive edge and an unexpected bite in its game. The hosts committed 11 fouls, but none put the team in a bad position.

Statistic	Real Madrid	Man City
Possession	40%	60%
Expected Goals (xG)	2.59	0.56
Total Shots	12	8
Shots on Target	7	4
Big Chances	3	1
Pass Accuracy	86%	90%
Fouls	11	13
Corners	1	10

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