Revealed: Vinicius Junior asked Federico Valverde if he wanted to take Real Madrid penalty moments before costly miss against Man City
Despite the offer to potentially grab a fourth goal, Valverde declined the opportunity, leaving the responsibility to the Brazilian. Vinicius eventually stepped up himself, only to see his relatively tame effort parried away by Man City No.1 Gianluigi Donnarumma. The miss left the forward visibly frustrated as he apologised to the home crowd, knowing that a fourth goal would have effectively ended the tie before the return leg at the Etihad Stadium.Speaking after the final whistle, the Uruguayan star confirmed the exchange took place on the pitch. “Vini Jr asked me if I wanted to take the penalty,” Valverde told TNT Sports. “Vini is a Real Madrid legend, he’s a great friend, me and other team-mates told him to take it." On the miss, Valverde added: "These things can happen, it’s part of football.” It was a display of humility from a player who had already dismantled Pep Guardiola’s side with a stunning first-half hat-trick in a rampant 22-minute spell, becoming only the second midfielder in Los Blancos history to score a treble in European competition after Pirri.The penalty miss did little to dampen spirits on the night, with Trent Alexander-Arnold having lavished praise on Valverde for his overall contribution to the victory. The England international was stunned by the performance, claiming that Valverde is undoubtedly "the most underrated footballer" on the planet.Manchester City now face a mountainous task to overturn the deficit, having been tactically outclassed in the Spanish capital. Despite their early dominance, City had no answer for Valverde’s clinical finishing and work rate. Donnarumma’s penalty save may yet prove to be a valuable lifeline, but the 3-0 scoreline reflects a dominant Real Madrid performance that has left Guardiola with few solutions ahead of the return fixture next Tuesday.
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