Valverde, MVP of the night: "It's the best match of my career"
"We have to go to Manchester as if the result were 0-0," emphasized the scorer of the three goals in the match.
Fede Valverde was chosen as the MVP of the match between Real Madrid and Manchester City, corresponding to the first leg of the round of 16 in the Champions League. The captain delivered an unforgettable performance by scoring all three goals in our team's victory at the Bernabéu. After receiving the trophy, he said: "Incredible. One always dreams of nights like this. I want to thank my teammates who give me the confidence to be in a good mental state; thank the coaching staff and the fans who are always supporting us, even though it has been a difficult season. They have always helped and supported us, so I thank them."
Is this the best match of your career?
"Definitely. Especially in terms of goals. I really enjoyed myself today. It had been quite a while since I enjoyed a match this way. I'm happy, I'm joyful, especially for the team's victory."
Playing further forward on the pitch
"Yes, I try, that's what the coach asks of me: to try to get into the second line and attack. Today we had many more players to control the ball in midfield, so I tried to attack much more. The players gave me incredible passes, so I thank them."
Long balls to create chances
“We practiced it a lot, especially when we played out from the back and they pressed one-on-one. We knew there would be spaces behind. We have fast players up front, and we took advantage of it well."
Team commitment
"For me, it's an honor, as I said yesterday in the press conference. Here we have to treat each other as if we were brothers, defend one another, help each other, and have each other's backs. I think that showed. When the team is united, fights for the same goal, and works together, it proves that we can achieve great things."
Vini Jr.'s penalty
"The important thing is the team's work and effort. It's true that in the last minutes we were very exhausted, but the team kept working."
Second leg in Manchester
"We know that matches in Manchester are very tough. They press a lot and have a crowd that puts pressure on you. We have to go as if the result were 0-0 and work it well."
Where will you place the award?
"I'll give it to my kids, who are already happy about it."
Disclaimer: Translation generated by artificial intelligence. It may contain inaccuracies.