Real Madrid delivered a dominant performance Wednesday, defeating Manchester City 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 clash at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. The victory marks a significant step for Real Madrid in a competition they’ve historically excelled in and sets the stage for a potentially decisive second leg.
Despite missing key players including Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham through injury, Real Madrid took control early. Manchester City enjoyed a period of possession in the opening stages, with Bernardo Silva coming close to opening the scoring with a shot that narrowly missed. However, the home side struck first against the run of play.
Thibaut Courtois launched a long ball that found Federico Valverde in stride, giving him space to run at the City defense. Valverde skillfully evaded Nico O’Reilly and, with goalkeeper Ederson hesitant to commit, calmly slotted the ball into the empty net.
Valverde doubled the lead just seven minutes later. A well-placed pass from Vinícius Júnior found Valverde, who expertly controlled the ball and fired a precise shot past Ederson from 14 meters.
The Uruguayan completed his brace and extended Real Madrid’s advantage in the 42nd minute. Following a run and cross from Vinícius Júnior, Díaz delicately chipped the ball into the box, allowing Valverde to head it past the onrushing goalkeeper into the far corner. It was Valverde’s first Champions League goal of the season, and it couldn’t have arrive at a better time.
Valverdét ünneplik a társai – Fotó: Violeta Santos Moura / Reuters
Vinícius Júnior had a chance to extend the lead from the penalty spot in the 55th minute, but his attempt was saved by Ederson.
Manchester City pushed for a goal, and Courtois was called into action in the 75th minute, making a brilliant save to deny a shot from Nico O’Reilly.
Elsewhere in the Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain defeated Chelsea 5-2, although Bayer Leverkusen and Arsenal played to a 1-1 draw. More details on the Champions League action can be found here.
- Results: Real Madrid–Manchester City 3-0, Leverkusen–Arsenal 1-1, PSG–Chelsea 5-2, Bodø–Sporting 3-0
