In a rematch of the previous season’s final, Madrid thrashed Dortmund with an incredible second half performance following a shocking blunder at Lille in their previous European match.Champions League winners Real Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund 5-2 on Tuesday after rallying from a two-goal deficit thanks to a spectacular hat-trick from Vinicius Junior.
Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward #07 Vinicius Junior celebrates scoring a hat-trick and his team’s fifth goal during the UEFA Champions League, league phase day 3 football match between Real Madrid CF and Borussia Dortmund at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on October 22, 2024. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP)
After a shock stumble at Lille in their previous European match, Madrid crushed Dortmund, in a repeat of last season’s final, with a superb second half display.Carlo Ancelotti’s side claimed a record-extending 15th Champions League crown at Wembley and, as in that match, struggled in the first half against the Bundesliga side, who went two goals up through Donyell Malen and Jamie Gittens.However, Antonio Rudiger and Vinicius pulled Madrid level with two goals in two minutes and Lucas Vazquez fired home the third after 83 minutes.
As Los Blancos put an end to Dortmund’s perfect start to the competition, Vinicius scored a spectacular solo goal for Madrid’s fourth goal and hammered in the fifth to add to their already impressive European comeback total.Vinicius told Movistar, “We know that anything can happen when we are at home with our fans.””We entered (at halftime) in complete silence, listened to the coach, and only spoke once.
“We would come back again if we scored the first goal, and we made another comeback, thanks to the fans and the entire team who gave it their all.”After a brief experiment with three at the back in Saturday’s narrow La Liga victory over Celta Vigo, Madrid coach Ancelotti switched to a 4-3-3 formation and brought Rodrygo into the attack alongside Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius.Madrid has had trouble finding balance and consistency this season since midfield guru Toni Kroos retired and while attempting to integrate Mbappe into the squad.The visitors frustrated them for the first thirty minutes of the match because they could not make any clean breaks before the game exploded.
Real Madrid’s French forward #09 Kylian Mbappe eyes the ball during the UEFA Champions League, league phase day 3 football match between Real Madrid CF and Borussia Dortmund at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on October 22, 2024. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP)
Malen opened the scoring with a cool finish after Julian Brandt won the ball back on the edge of the area and Serhou Guirassy squeezed a pass through a tight gap to find the Dutch winger.Four minutes later Malen created the second, using his explosive pace to escape Ferland Mendy and crossing for Gittens to gleefully finish.Madrid responded by carving open Dortmund before the break but without finding a killer finish.Bellingham, without a goal in 10 games this season, headed straight at Gregor Kobel when he ran onto a scooped pass into the area.The England international, facing his former club, then struck the crossbar from close range on the rebound after team-mate Rodrygo had also hit the woodwork, with Madrid fans barely able to believe they had not scored.Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a fine save to thwart Brandt before the break when the midfielder let fly from outside the area.
The home team turned the tide in the second half, and although Kobel made a good save at Lucas Vazquez’s near post, he was unable to stop Rudiger’s strong header from Mbappe’s cross an hour later.After Mbappe was tackled in the area two minutes later, Madrid tied the score, but Vinicius easily scored after the ball fell invitingly.Goal scorers Gitten and Malen were substituted out by Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin, a former Madrid player, but his team was unable to hold off the ravenous hosts.After Vinicius added brilliance with his excellent fourth goal and Rodrygo did a good job of keeping the ball in play, Vazquez completed Madrid’s comeback.Expected to win his first Ballon d’Or in Paris on Monday, the Brazilian produced a deadly low finish after carrying the ball forward unassisted.In addition to warning La Liga leaders Barcelona, who will visit the Bernabeu on Saturday, Vinicius then added a fifth goal by charging into the area and rifling past Kobel.As always, Vinicius continued, “We will go for it, in our stadium, with our fans, and we will fight for everything this season.”
