Vinicius Junior netted a hat-trick as reigning champions Real Madrid staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Borussia Dortmund 5-2 in the Champions League on Tuesday, despite being two goals down.
Antonio Rüdiger’s header in the 60th minute sparked the revival, with Vinicius scoring just two minutes later. Lucas Vázquez added a goal in the 83rd minute, followed by two more from Vinicius—one a brilliant solo effort in the 86th minute and another in stoppage time—to seal the victory for the Spanish giants.
At halftime, Dortmund looked in control with a 2-0 lead, thanks to goals from Donyell Malen and Jamie Bynoe Gittens. However, Real Madrid, the record 15-time champions, found a way to prevail, much like their victory against Dortmund in last season’s final, where they won 2-0 at Wembley.
The win came after Real’s 1-0 loss to Lille, bringing them to six points, the same as Dortmund, who dropped their first points after winning their initial two games.
“We changed our formation, but more importantly, the dynamics in the second half. This is our competition, and make no mistake—we want to win it again,” Vinicius Junior told Movistar.