Vinicius Junior stole the show with a spectacular hat-trick as Real Madrid roared back from two goals down to defeat Borussia Dortmund 5-2 in a thrilling Champions League clash on Tuesday.
The reigning European champions, recovering from an early setback, delivered a dominant second-half display to crush their German opponents in a repeat of last season’s final.
Real Madrid’s emphatic victory comes just weeks after a surprising defeat to Lille in their previous European match. The match, held at the Santiago Bernabéu, saw Carlo Ancelotti’s side struggling early on but eventually turning the game on its head with a vintage performance.
Dortmund, who had won their first two group matches, stunned Madrid with two quick goals in the first half. Dutch forward Donyell Malen opened the scoring, slotting home after a sharp pass from Serhou Guirassy. Four minutes later, Malen sprinted past Ferland Mendy to set up Jamie Gittens for Dortmund’s second, leaving the home fans in shock.
However, Madrid responded swiftly. Antonio Rudiger headed in from a Kylian Mbappe cross in the 60th minute, and just two minutes later, Vinicius equalized after pouncing on a loose ball in the box.
From there, Madrid took full control. Lucas Vazquez scored Madrid’s third after 83 minutes, capitalizing on Rodrygo’s determination to keep the ball in play.
Vinicius then dazzled the crowd with a sensational solo goal, carrying the ball forward before finishing clinically for Madrid’s fourth. He completed his hat-trick late on, firing past Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel to seal the victory and snap Dortmund’s perfect start to the competition.
Speaking to Movistar after the match, Vinicius credited Madrid’s supporters for spurring the team’s comeback. “We know that when we are at home, with our fans, anything can happen,” he said. “If we scored the first, we would come back once again, and we made another comeback, thanks to the fans and the whole team who gave everything.”
Carlo Ancelotti returned to a 4-3-3 formation, bringing in Mbappe alongside Vinicius and Rodrygo in attack. Despite a difficult first half, Madrid found their rhythm after the break, pressing Dortmund relentlessly and finding the back of the net with clinical precision.
The win sets the stage for a highly anticipated El Clásico this weekend as Real Madrid hosts La Liga leaders Barcelona. Vinicius, expected to claim his first Ballon d’Or on Monday, added, “We’ll go for it, in our stadium, with our fans, and we will fight for everything this season like always.”
With this victory, Madrid not only reasserts its dominance in Europe but also sends a strong warning to their domestic rivals ahead of the clash at the Bernabéu.
