Mansion Sports – Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa delivered extraordinary praise to Fede Valverde after the convincing 3-0 victory over Manchester City.

He described the midfielder as the main standard for the club and stated that Valverde reflects all the qualities that a Real Madrid player should possess.

Arbeloa assessed that Valverde’s outstanding performance in the Champions League confirms his position as a role model in the modern era of the club’s football.

Valverde Silences Doubts from Outside

Without the presence of Kylian Mbappe who is currently experiencing an injury, Valverde emerged as the decisive figure for the home team.

He scored a historic hat-trick that brought Real Madrid to a 3-0 victory in the first leg of the round of 16.

After seeing the Uruguay player score three goals in only 22 minutes, Arbeloa described him as the main benchmark for the club.

He stated that Valverde is capable of playing well in any position. According to him, the player can be likened to Juanito in the 21st century, while also becoming the standard that describes what a Real Madrid player should be like.

Arbeloa also assessed that the result of the match even exceeded expectations, especially after the team received sharp criticism following disappointing defeats to Getafe and Osasuna in several previous matches.

He added that Real Madrid actually had the opportunity to close the match with a four-goal advantage, but that opportunity did not materialize after the penalty from Vinicius Junior was successfully saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.

When asked about the failed penalty, Arbeloa stated that he liked the reaction of the supporters at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium who continued to give applause to Vinicius. According to him, if there is a player who is capable of rising from a difficult situation, that figure is Vinicius.

Tactical Strategy to Overcome Manchester City’s Play

Arbeloa also explained the tactical approach applied by his team to face Manchester City who are coached by Pep Guardiola.

He stated that the players had studied well the playing style of City as well as the approach commonly used by Guardiola.

According to him, Real Madrid attempted to close the spaces and passing lanes usually utilized by the opponent. He explained that City often try to lure opponents out of position and then exploit the space behind the defense.

Therefore, Real Madrid chose to wait with discipline before launching counterattacks and searching for gaps behind the opponent’s defensive line.

Injury Concerns and Pride in Academy Players

Behind the victory, Real Madrid also faced less pleasant news related to the condition of Ferland Mendy.

Arbeloa confirmed that the player from France suffered an injury after he had to be taken off in the first half and replaced by Fran Garcia.

He stated that the injury condition does not appear to be very good. Arbeloa also appreciated the effort shown by Mendy, although he admitted that giving two matches to a player who had just returned after a long absence might not have been an ideal decision.

On the other hand, Arbeloa also highlighted the positive contribution from the young academy player, Thiago Pitarch. He emphasized the importance of appreciating players who come from the club’s academy. According to him, those players were not brought in with large transfer fees such as 30, 40, or 50 million euros, but they are players who truly possess a sense of belonging toward Real Madrid.

Arbeloa Reminds the Team that the Work Is Not Finished

Even though his team already holds a three-goal advantage, Arbeloa still reminded the players not to feel satisfied too quickly ahead of the second leg.

He emphasized that qualification to the next round still cannot be guaranteed. He has told the players that their work is not finished.

Arbeloa also stressed that Manchester City remain a very strong team with high-quality players and are coached by a great manager such as Pep Guardiola. Therefore, he believes that the second leg match still has the potential to present various surprises.