Valverde’s first-half hat-trick sees him join Messi on list Ronaldo isn’t part of

Real Madrid delivered a sublime first half in the UEFA Champions League against Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu, turning expectations around despite the injuries affecting the side managed by Alvaro Arbeloa. Midfielder Federico Valverde produced a remarkable performance in the opening half, scoring a hat trick and joining Lionel Messi on a list that notably does not include Cristiano Ronaldo.

According to MisterChip, Valverde joined the group of players who scored three goals in the first half of a knockout stage match in the Champions League. That list includes , Robert Lewandowski, Erling Haaland, Anthony Gordon and now Valverde. A notable detail is that he is the only player on that list who is not a forward.

It was not just any achievement, as it came against a familiar rival such as Manchester City in the Champions League. The two clubs have faced each other 15 times in the competition, producing evenly contested series with five wins for each side and five draws. Valverde scored three outstanding goals with technique, feints and elite finishing in the 20th, 27th and 42nd minutes.

Valverde’s spectacular goals strengthened the argument that Federico should be considered among the best midfielders in the game today. It is also worth remembering that he did not even finish inside the top 30 of the Ballon d’Or rankings. In the current season with Real Madrid, Valverde has scored a total of six goals, two in LaLiga, one in the Spain Supercup, and three in the UEFA Champions League.

Another surprising fact about the hat-trick

This sequence of goals has generated significant discussion because of how historic and special it has been, particularly due to Valverde joining that exclusive list.

However, MisterChip revealed another notable fact, as Valverde became only the second midfielder in the history of Real Madrid to score a hat-trick in the European Cup. The first was Pirri against AEL Limassol on September 18, 1968.

Valverde also joined a very exclusive group of captains who scored a hat-trick in a Champions League knockout stage match. The only other player to achieve that milestone was Karim Benzema for Real Madrid in 2022 against PSG and Chelsea.

Another teammate receives major recognition

Valverde’s performance also led to an unprecedented milestone for one of his teammates. With the assist from Thibaut Courtois on Valverde’s first goal, the goalkeeper became the first in Champions League history to record two assists in the same season. Courtois had previously assisted Kylian Mbappe against FC Kairat.