MADRID, March 12, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Federico Valverde's superb first-half hat-trick helped Real Madrid demolish Manchester City 3-0 in a surprise Champions League last 16 first leg rout on Wednesday. Los Blancos were missing several key players including Kylian Mbappe but Uruguayan midfielder Valverde's stunning treble, netted inside a 22-minute spell, crushed Pep Guardiola's team at the Santiago Bernabeu. City, who won the competition for the first and only time in 2023, even beat Madrid in the league phase and have strengthened since then. Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi made their Champions League debuts and for an all-too-brief period City seemed to be settling in at the Bernabeu. Nico O'Reilly misjudged it and the Madrid midfielder blazed through on goal.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha March 12, 2026 03:15 UTC