With Real knocking City out of the UCL in each of the previous two campaigns, Los Blancos had a psychological edge, as they looked to forge a path to an eighth quarter-finals appearance in nine seasons.
However, it was City who started marginally the better side, but Jeremy Doku’s service wasn’t met with a finishing touch.
With Real finding their shape, the visitors’ spell of promise was ended when Thibaut Courtois fired a long ball out to Valverde, who came in from the right-hand side and then toed past Nico O'Reilly and Gianluigi Donnarumma before finding the empty net.
A sensational half only got better for the Uruguayan, and just before the half-hour mark, Vinicius Junior powered forward from the left and played Valverde through with a reverse ball, allowing him to strike across goal and into the bottom corner with his left foot.
Having already scored twice in a game for just the second time in his career, Real’s skipper saved the best for last in his epic trilogy. Brahim Diaz’s chipped ball into the box was sublime, but it was matched by Valverde, who flicked it over a helpless Marc Guehi and tapped in past Donnarumma.
With their 11-match unbeaten run all but at an end, things could easily have got worse for City in the exchanges after the break.
Vinícius Júnior broke away and was taken down as he tried to go around Donnarumma, but was thwarted from the spot when the City goalkeeper jumped to his left to keep out his penalty.
The hosts kept the pressure on in the latter minutes, although they had Courtois to thank for making a stunning reflex save to divert over, after O’Reilly pickpocketed Thiago Pitarch in the area.
There was also a brief resurgence from City in the final moments, but they ultimately didn’t trouble the scoresheet for the first time since mid-January.
It will be a tall order for City to come back from this, and they’ll have their sights on replicating 2023’s 4-0 home win – an occasion that still marks the last time they beat Real in a two-legged tie.
This emphatic result will be of great encouragement to a Real Madrid side who have faltered of late, but Alvaro Arbeloa will know that the job is not done yet.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)
