Valverde’s Hat-Trick Powers Real Madrid Past Man City as PSG Thrash Chelsea, Bodo/Glimt Continue Dream Run

Story: Written by springnewsng March 12,2026
Wednesday night delivered thrilling action in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first-leg clashes, with dominant wins for Real Madrid and Paris Saint‑Germain, while Bodø/Glimt continued their remarkable European adventure.
The evening’s fixtures followed an earlier encounter between Bayer Leverkusen and Arsenal, which ended in a 1–1 stalemate.
Real Madrid 3–0 Manchester City
At the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Real Madrid delivered a commanding 3–0 victory over Manchester City, thanks to a sensational performance from Federico Valverde.
The Uruguayan midfielder stole the spotlight with a first-half hat-trick, his first-ever treble for the Spanish giants. In doing so, he joined an elite list of players to score three goals in the opening half of a Champions League match against an English side—something previously achieved by Lionel Messi against Arsenal in 2010.
Valverde opened the scoring in the 20th minute after latching onto a long pass from Thibaut Courtois before calmly finishing past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
He doubled Madrid’s advantage just seven minutes later with a powerful strike into the bottom corner, and completed his hat-trick before halftime with a clever move inside the penalty area.
Madrid had the chance to extend their lead in the second half when Vinícius Júnior won a penalty, but his effort was saved by Donnarumma. Despite increased pressure from City late in the match, Courtois produced a crucial save to deny Nico O’Reilly, ensuring Madrid carried a comfortable advantage into the return leg.
Bodø/Glimt 3–0 Sporting Lisbon
Norwegian club Bodø/Glimt continued their stunning Champions League journey with a convincing 3–0 win over Sporting CP at the Aspmyra Stadion.
The hosts took control after Sondre Fet converted a penalty midway through the first half. Ole Didrik Blomberg added a second goal before halftime, while Kasper Høgh sealed the victory with a close-range finish in the 71st minute.
The Norwegian side’s impressive run in Europe has continued to capture attention, putting them in a strong position ahead of the second leg.
Paris Saint-Germain 5–2 Chelsea
Meanwhile, reigning champions Paris Saint‑Germain defeated Chelsea 5–2 in a thrilling encounter at the Parc des Princes.
PSG struck first through Bradley Barcola, but Malo Gusto quickly equalised for Chelsea. Ousmane Dembélé restored the home side’s lead before halftime, only for Enzo Fernández to level the score again early in the second half.
The turning point came when Vitinha capitalised on a costly error by goalkeeper Filip Jørgensen to put PSG ahead once more.
Substitute Khvicha Kvaratskhelia then delivered the knockout blow, scoring twice late in the game—including a stunning long-range strike—to secure a commanding three-goal advantage ahead of the second leg at Stamford Bridge.
With the results, Real Madrid, Paris Saint‑Germain, and Bodø/Glimt now hold strong positions as the race for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League intensifies.