October 23, (THEWILL) – Real Madrid demonstrated their European pedigree with a remarkable 5-2 victory against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, spearheaded by Vinicius Junior’s exceptional hat-trick.
The Spanish giants found themselves trailing by two goals after Donyell Malen and Jamie Gittens struck for the visitors. However, the match transformed dramatically when Antonio Rudiger and Vinicius scored twice within two minutes to level the contest, before Lucas Vazquez put Madrid ahead with seven minutes remaining.
Vinicius Junior, who is anticipated to receive his first Ballon d’Or next Monday in Paris, extended Madrid’s advantage with an impressive individual effort. The Brazilian forward completed his hat-trick with a powerful strike past goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, sending a clear message ahead of Saturday’s crucial La Liga encounter with Barcelona at the Bernabeu.
Carlo Ancelotti’s tactical adjustment to a 4-3-3 formation, incorporating Rodrygo alongside Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius in attack, proved instrumental in the second-half transformation.
The European champions have experienced challenges finding their rhythm this season, particularly following Toni Kroos’ retirement and while integrating Mbappe into their system.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
