Federico Valverde turned in a Champions League performance for the ages, bagging a first-half hat-trick to lead Real Madrid to a comfortable 3-0 win in the first leg of their last 16 tie with Manchester City. The Uruguay international headlined a classic Madrid knockout performance, but a penalty miss from Vinicius Jr in the second half might have left the door open for a City comeback.

Signed by Peñarol for €5 million, he found consistency under Zidane and is now one of the best players in the world.

Federico Valverde's lucky late winner papered over an otherwise disappointing performance from Real Madrid as they snuck past Celta Vigo with a 2-1 win. Los Blancos took the lead inside the first half, but conceded an equaliser shortly after. They seemed destined to settle for a point, but Valverde's winner - a heavily deflected strike in second-half stoppage time - gave them a vital win on the road.

Alvaro Arbeloa was in a reflective mood at the Santiago Bernabéu after guiding Real Madrid into the Champions League round of 16 following a hard-fought victory over Benfica. The former Madrid defender, now leading the Spanish giants from the dugout, oversaw a mature performance as his side secured a 2-1 win on the night, progressing with a 3-1 aggregate scoreline. Despite the celebrations in the capital, the focus quickly shifted to the potential heavyweights awaiting them in the next phase, with a familiar English opponent looming large in the mind of the Madrid head coach.

A number of players will be happy to see the back of the former Bayer Leverkusen coach after an unsuccessful spell at the Santiago Bernabeu