Vinicius shines, helps Real reverse Dortmund

The 2024 Ballon d'Or award day is approaching, as award candidate Vinicius Junior continues to shine with his first hat-trick in 9 months.

Just like in the 2024 Champions League final, the Brazilian striker scored against Dortmund and helped Real Madrid win the title for the 14th time.

This time Real had more difficulty, trailing 0-2 until the 60th minute, but scored 5 goals in the remaining time to crush their German opponents.

In addition to Vinicius' three goals, center-back Antonio Rudiger and right-back Lucas Vazquez also contributed to the victory of Carlo Ancelotti's team.

History has only recorded one team that has been two goals down in the Champions League, and then won by three goals. That was Real, and they did it twice, against Liverpool in the round of 16 in 2023 and against Dortmund on the evening of October 22. Vinicius scored five goals in both of those matches.

Two of Vinicius' three goals were one-offs. In the 86th minute, Jude Bellingham stole the ball from Emre Can's feet and Vinicius raced from near the home team's penalty area, along the left flank. The 24-year-old then dribbled into the middle, then curled the ball into the far corner from about 20 meters away, raising the score to 4-2.

After scoring a beautiful goal and securing victory, Vinicius took off his shirt, threw it in the air and pointed to the ground with both hands in front of a sea of ​​white-shirted spectators cheering.

The performance of the "number 7" in the Champions League easily reminded Real Madrid fans of the club's legend - Cristiano Ronaldo. They sang in unison for the Brazilian star: "How could we not love you?"

In the final minute, Vinicius received the ball near the middle of the field, dribbled past two players into the penalty area. This time, he did not switch to his right foot, but brought the ball to his left and shot into the near corner of the Dortmund net, sealing a 5-2 victory.

Before that, the match had gone completely in Dortmund's favour, with the visitors scoring twice in four first-half minutes through Donyell Malen and 20-year-old midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.

But Real always has a magical vitality in the Champions League, and this is another chance for the defending champion to prove it. In the 60th minute, Kylian Mbappe crossed from the right for Rudiger to head the ball into the Dortmund net without being marked by anyone.

Two minutes later, Vinicius tapped the ball into an empty net after Nico Schlotterbeck's clearance was in front of Mbappe's boot.

In the 83rd minute, captain Julian Brandt's interception accidentally became a through ball for Vazquez to rush down the right side of the penalty area, before the 33-year-old defender shot hard into the far corner to help the home team lead 3-2.