‘We gave our everything’

Real Madrid’s hat-trick hero Vinicius Jr claims defending champions were encouraged to work hard and rally from 0-2 down to beat Borussia Dortmund 5-2 thanks to supportive home fans

Vinicius Junior scored a sublime hat-trick as Champions League holders Real Madrid came back from two goals down to hammer Borussia Dortmund 5-2 on Tuesday. 

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. 

62nd min: Vinicius taps in the equaliser with his left foot for 2-2

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.

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Rudiger initiates fightback

However Antonio Rudiger and Vinicius pulled Madrid level with two goals in two minutes and Lucas Vazquez fired home the third after 83 minutes. 

86th min: Vinicius finishes off a solo effort with his right for 4-2

Vinicius produced a brilliant solo goal for Madrid’s fourth and slammed in the fifth as Los Blancos ended Dortmund’s 100 percent start to the competition by producing another comeback to add to a vast collection in Europe. “We know that when we are at home, with our fans, anything can happen,” Vinicius told Movistar.

‘Just listened to coach’

“We went in [at half-time] very quiet and just listened to the coach, we said just one thing. 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.” 

93rd min: Vinicius completes his hat-trick from close range for 5-2

After midfield maestro Toni Kroos’ retirement and while trying to bed Mbappe into the team, Madrid have struggled to find balance and consistency this season. They were frustrated for the first half an hour of the game by the visitors, unable to create clear cut openings before the game burst open. “We have to learn from what we are capable of in this second half with high intensity and high tempo, we have to start games like that, not wait until they have scored two to react like we did,” warned Ancelotti.

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