MADRID — “Our crown, our trophy,” read the banner, held up by fans behind the Santiago Bernabeu’s south goal before kickoff.
Real Madrid are the reigning European champions, the 15-time UEFA Champions League winners, and, of course, the comeback kings, as they showed once again in this unpredictable, wildly entertaining 5-2 win over Borussia Dortmund.
This is a strange Madrid team, full of elite players, but often malfunctioning as a unit. They flirted with embarrassment against Dortmund before they decided to play the hits, and turn the game around, roared on by the Bernabeu crowd.
Real Madrid’s dramatic 5-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night was yet another chapter in their storied history of Champions League comebacks. Despite trailing 2-0 at halftime, the team rallied in the second half, inspired by a hat-trick from Vinicius Jr. and crucial saves from Thibaut Courtois. The two key figures spoke to the media after the match, reflecting on their roles in the comeback and what it means for the team moving forward.
Vinicius Jr., who spearheaded the attack, emphasized the team’s belief and calm approach even when they were two goals down at halftime.
“We believe in ourselves, we know that at home with our fans anything can happen,” said Vinicius. “We arrived at the changing rooms at halftime very quiet, we listened to the manager and we said one thing: if we score the first, we will come back again. Thanks to the fans, but we have to improve and play like this from the start because if not, the manager won’t be able to keep up.”
The Brazilian star also praised Carlo Ancelotti’s tactical adjustments, which were pivotal in changing the game’s dynamic in the second half.
Then, Madrid had to wait. They pushed for a winner, as Dortmund tried to hang on, and occasionally threaten, if they could, on the break. When it came, Madrid’s third goal arrived from Vazquez, before a breathtaking late double from Vinícius left the result in no doubt. By the final whistle, Madrid’s poor first half felt like a distant memory, the win ultimately so comfortable, so overwhelming, that what came before it could almost be dismissed as an irrelevance.
Vinícius carried the match ball off the pitch and will take the headlines as the game’s outstanding player. As preparation for Saturday’s El Clásico against Barcelona in LaLiga, it doesn’t get much better, even if Madrid’s first-half shortcomings suggest there are still plenty of reasons for concern.
The nature of this new Champions League format, with only 12 of the 36 teams being eliminated after the league phase, means that even with a defeat, Madrid might well have qualified for the knockout phase anyway. And it’s worth remembering that they weren’t immune to the occasional group stage slip-up — remember Moldova’s Sheriff Tiraspol winning 2-1 at the Bernabeu in 2021? Madrid went on to lift the Champions League that season.
But in the end, there was no slip-up here. There was business as usual. After this second half, Madrid will be talked about as being among the favourites to win the competition again in 2025. And with Vinicius in this kind of unplayable form, it’s hard to argue.