Real’s Vinicius grabs hat-trick in 5-2 comeback win over Dortmund

Real Madrid staged an impressive comeback from a two-goal deficit, with Vinicius Jr. scoring a hat-trick in a thrilling 5-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday. In a rematch of last season’s final, Dortmund electrified the game with a two-goal surge around the half-hour mark, thanks to Donyell Malen and Jamie Gittens, which initially silenced the Bernabeu crowd.

After the break, the champions showed more energy and eventually broke Dortmund’s defense with a header from Antonio Rüdiger in the 60th minute. Vinícius then equalized with a close-range shot. Lucas Vázquez put Real Madrid ahead in the 83rd minute with an unstoppable strike following a counter-attack. Vinícius concluded the scoring with two moments of individual brilliance, securing the win and leaving both teams tied with six points from three games.

“(The secret to the comeback) was believing in ourselves. We know that at home, with our fans, anything can happen,” Vinicius, who is in contention to win the Ballon d’Or award for the best player in the world on Monday, told Movistar Plus.

“When we got to the dressing room, we were all very quiet, we only listened to the coach (Carlo Ancelotti) … and only one thing was said: ‘If we score the first goal, we’re going to come back again’. And we did.

“Thanks to the fans and to the team, who left everything on the pitch. But we have to improve and play like that from the start, otherwise the coach won’t be able to take it anymore.”

Still figuring out the ideal lineup and formation for a Real midfield missing the creative talent of Toni Kroos, who retired at the end of last season, Ancelotti reverted to his usual 4-3-3 after trying out a system with three centre-backs in an unconvincing 2-1 win over Celta Vigo in LaLiga at the weekend.

However, after a promising first half hour in which Real looked solid at the back and in control of the match, Dortmund took advantage of a lack of concentration by the home defence to score twice in the space of four minutes.

Real looked as stunned as the home fans, anxiously missing several chances, and were often exposed by counter-attacks, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois making brilliant saves to deny efforts from Gittens and Julian Brandt before the break.

The hosts came back better organised after the interval, showing the urgency they clearly lacked in the opening period, and got some help from two head-scratching substitutions from Dortmund manager Nuri Sahin early in the second half.

He replaced scorers Malen and Gittens with defender Waldemar Anton and holding midfielder Pascal Gross, leaving his side toothless up front, and from that point it was all downhill for the German side who succumbed to the pressure Real piled on.

Ruediger’s header and a Vinicius tap-in two minutes later had lifted the crowd and it was a matter of time until Vazquez gave Real the lead, with Vinicius capping the comeback with unstoppable strikes in the 86th and 93rd minutes.