Vinicius Junior's brilliance for Real Madrid likely earns more than win over Dortmund with Ballon d'Or looming
CBSN
The Brazilian was at his best on Tuesday in the Champions League
In a rematch of the 2023-24 Champions League final, Borussia Dortmund thought they had the match wrapped up in the first half of play but Real Madrid stormed back from down 2-0 to win 5-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu in an iconic performance from Vinicius Junior. Goals from Donyell Malen and Jamie Gittens put Nuri Sahin's men up at halftime while Madrid struggled to string attacks together, but all they needed were some adjustments to get back into the match. Vinicius Junior netted a hat trick in the second half of play while Madrid scored not one, not two, not three or four, but five unanswered goals in the second half.
Los Blancos were able to put Dortmund's best-laid plans to waste because that's what you do when you're the best team in the world. The domination of Real Madrid for 60 minutes doesn't matter. If you're going to come at the reigning Champions League winners, you've got to make sure they stay down.
In the second half of play, Real Madrid took 17 shots, putting nine on target, and scoring five goals. Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund were limited to only two shots and an xG of 0.10 in the second half. When things turn into a mental battle, no team has more self-belief that they'll find a way than Real Madrid. While Kylian Mbappe is finding his feet, it's still Vinicius Junior who has the second gear to make Carlo Ancelotti's men unstoppable.
