Federico Valverde produced a sensational first-half hat-trick to put Real Madrid in full control against Manchester City, as the Spanish side cruised to a 3–0 victory in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie on Wednesday.

Valverde broke the deadlock in the 20th minute, rounding City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma after a precise launch from Thibaut Courtois. He doubled the lead seven minutes later with a low, clinical finish and completed his hat-trick in the 42nd minute following a Brahim Diaz assist. Despite missing Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Rodrygo, Madrid dominated proceedings, exposing City’s defensive weaknesses.

Manchester City struggled to translate possession into clear-cut chances, with efforts from Bernardo Silva and Antoine Semenyo thwarted by Courtois. Vinícius Júnior also missed a second-half penalty, but Madrid held firm, leaving City with a daunting task ahead of the return leg.

Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain demolished Chelsea 5–2 at the Parc des Princes. Bradley Barcola opened the scoring in the 10th minute before Chelsea’s Malo Gusto equalised in the 28th. PSG regained the lead through Ousmane Dembélé, only for Chelsea to draw level again via Enzo Fernandez in the 57th minute.

PSG pulled away decisively after the break, with Vitinha scoring in the 74th minute, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia adding a fourth in the 86th, and sealing the emphatic win with a stoppage-time goal in the 94th minute. Chelsea’s defensive frailties were exposed, leaving them with a steep challenge in the second leg.

Both Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain now hold commanding three-goal advantages, putting them firmly in control of their respective ties.