Vinicius Junior nets hat-trick as Real Madrid hit back to stun Borussia Dortmund

Vinicius Junior scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid roared back from two goals down to thump Borussia Dortmund 5-2 at the Bernabeu in a pulsating rematch of last season’s Champions League final.

Holders Real were on course for a second defeat in three matches in this term’s league phase, having lost 1-0 at Lille last time out, after Donyell Malen and 20-year-old Englishman Jamie Bynoe-Gittens scored for Dortmund in the 30th and 34th minute respectively.

But Carlo Ancelotti’s men, who had hit the bar twice shortly after Bynoe-Gittens’ goal, subsequently produced a ruthless second-half response, starting with Antonio Rudiger’s header halving the deficit on the hour mark and Vinicius Junior equalising two minutes later.

Lucas Vazquez then put them in front in the 83rd minute before Vinicius Junior added two further strikes to claim the match ball.

Triumphing over Dortmund again four months on from the 2-0 win at Wembley against the Germans that gave Real a 15th European Cup, it takes Real to six points, the same amount as Nuri Sahin’s side, who had been top of the standings.

After an opening of few chances, in which Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy saw a shot saved by Thibaut Courtois and a Kylian Mbappe effort deflected off-target at the other end, the game exploded into life with the visitors grabbing the lead on the half-hour.

Lucas Vazquez lost possession to Julian Brandt just outside the Real box, the ball came to Guirassy and he teed up Malen to fire past Courtois.

Malen then turned provider as Dortmund swiftly scored again, delivering a cross from the right that Bynoe-Gittens slid to convert at the far post.

Two minutes later former Dortmund man Jude Bellingham was unable to make the most of a good chance to pull a goal back as he headed straight at Gregor Kobel.

Seconds on from that a remarkable sequence saw Rodrygo strike against the Dortmund bar, Bellingham do the same on the follow-up, with the ball bouncing down on the line, and Kobel then push it away as it ricocheted goalwards off Brandt.

The drama continued with Courtois producing a great one-handed save to keep out a Brandt effort and turning a Bynoe-Gittens shot behind, either side of Rodrygo shooting wide.

Having made it to the break without conceding, Dortmund were under pressure from the off early in the second as Kobel dealt with efforts from Vazquez and Vinicius Junior.

After a Malen strike was saved by Courtois, the breakthrough then came for Real when Rudiger connected with Mbappe’s cross to power in a header.

Real kept their foot on the gas and within moments they were level as a tackle on Mbappe only sent the ball towards Vinicius Junior, who slotted in, with the effort being confirmed as a goal after a VAR check for offside.

Kobel then kept out two Mbappe shots and Dortmund substitute Maximilian Beier was thwarted by Courtois before Vazquez completed the turnaround for Real as the ball came to him off Brandt and he smashed into the net.

Vinicius Junior then took centre stage again as he twice advanced into the box to rifle home, first in the 86th minute and then in stoppage time to wrap up his treble.