After Scoring Hat-trick Against Dortmund, Ancelotti Backs Vinicius To Win Ballon d’Or

Real Madrid coach, Carlo Ancelotti has showered encomiums on the hat-trick hero, Vinicius Junior following his match-winning performance against Dortmund.

Real Madrid fought back from a 2-0 deficit in the first half to breeze past Dortmund with five second half goals.

Rudiger reduced the deficit for the hosts in the 60th minute with a towering header before Vinicius restored parity two minutes later.

Lucas Vazquez gave Real Madrid the lead for the first time in the encounter with a close finish from a tight angle in the 83rd minute.

Vinicius scored two late goals from his trademark solo runs to put the game beyond Dortmund and ensure the maximum points for the defending champions.

Real Madrid coach, Carlo Ancelotti was full of praise for Vinicius expressing confidence that the Brazilian will be named the Ballon d’Or winner next Monday.

He said, “What I can say is that it’s rare to see a player who plays a second half like Vinicius did. And not because of the three goals but because of his character; he’s extraordinary.

“Vinicius is going to win (the Ballon d’Or), not for what he did tonight, but for what he did last year. These three goals are already going to count for next year’s Ballon d’Or, that’s for sure. He is a player who gets whistled at because he can make a difference.”

Ancelotti said there was no panic in the dressing room after Dortmund raced to a 2-0 lead in the first half.

He said, “We lived it calmly, calmly (over the break). We changed the system and came back playing more intensely.

“Talking about scoring three goals might have seemed utopian, so we talked about small details like passing well, winning duels… We had to win the dynamic of the game and from there, you start to win the game.

“We were timid in the first half. We weren’t intense on the ball, and in the second half, we did better with more quality, more pressure. It was the best second half of the season.

“We have to learn from what we did in the second half. The aim is to start the game and not wait for them to put two past us. I don’t think we can play 90 minutes with the intensity of the second half but we can be more balanced.”

Real Madrid now have six points from three Champions League games, and they will return to action in La Liga on Saturday against Barcelona.