Zinedine Zidane praises Federico Valverde after his stunning hat-trick led Real Madrid to a 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the UCL Round of 16

Former Zinedine Zidane expressed his joy for midfielder Federico Valverde after the Uruguayan scored a hat-trick against Manchester City.

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Valverde netted all three goals for Los Blancos in a 3-0 victory during the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. Zidane, present at the Bernabeu, praised the 27-year-old for stepping up in the absence of top scorer Kylian Mbappe, who was sidelined due to injury.

“I am very pleased for Valverde,” Zidane remarked, commending the midfielder’s precise finishing and leadership on the pitch.

Since joining Real Madrid in 2016, Valverde has progressed through the youth ranks and loan spells to become a first-team regular under Zidane.

Notably, prior to this match, he had scored only three Champions League goals in 75 appearances. Remarkably, he matched that total in just 45 minutes against Manchester City.

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Valverde also captained the side in the match, demonstrating maturity and composure that contributed to a convincing win, boosting Real Madrid’s chances of progressing to the quarter-finals.