Fede Valverde will surely never forget this evening: the midfielder scored a hat trick in the home game against Manchester City and single-handedly secured a clear victory. It was the best game of his career so far, as he later stated.
If there was one scene that summed up Fede Valverde’s evening, it came in the third minute of stoppage time: under heavy pressure, the Real captain held onto the ball at his own corner flag, fell briefly to the ground, but still managed to control the ball and play it cleanly forward. There were chants for the Royal’s number 8—and not for the first time that evening.
Because what Fede Valverde had shown before, especially in the first half, was simply world class. The midfielder had already scored twice that evening when the highlight came: after a pass from Brahim Diaz, Fede Valverde lifted the ball over Marc Guehi in the penalty area and then scored with a volley from close range. It was an outstanding goal that left many at the Bernabeu open-mouthed. After all, you don’t see a goal like that every day. For the first time that evening, there were chants for the captain. Fede Valverde, one of the constants and Mr. Reliable at Real Madrid, had scored a perfect hat trick in 22 minutes, deciding the tricky first leg of the round of 16 against Manchester City. The score remained 3-0 for the Blancos after 90 minutes, with Alvaro Arbeloa’s team now having one foot in the quarterfinals.
Fede Valverde: “I really enjoyed it today”
“Unbelievable, you always dream of evenings like this,” Fede Valverde enthused after the game on Movistar, adding that it was his best game ever: “Definitely, especially in terms of goals. I really enjoyed it today, it’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a game this much. I’m happy, but above all I’m happy about the win for the team.“
Praise for the man of the evening also came from his coach, of course. ”It doesn’t matter where you play him. For me, he’s the Juanito of the 21st century. He’s the benchmark. Everything a Real Madrid player should be is Fede Valverde,” Arbeloa praised his protégé, and he could hardly have made a greater comparison. Juanito played for the Blancos between 1977 and 1987 and was the leader and figurehead of the Royal Club.
Like Fede Valverde, he stood for unconditional commitment and is celebrated after seven minutes (his jersey number) in every home game. After this strong performance, the Royal Club has one foot in the quarterfinals. The Skyblues need a minor miracle in the second leg next Tuesday at their home stadium. Despite the clear result, the hat-trick hero from the first leg remains professional, of course. “We know that games in Manchester are very difficult, they have a passionate fan base and we have to approach the game as if it were 0-0,” said Fede Valverde.
