Immediate Reaction: Real Madrid 5-2 Borussia Dortmund

Real Madrid 5-2 Borussia Dortmund (Rüdiger, Vinícius Júnior x3 & Vázquez). Business as usual in Europe. Here is my reaction to the comeback. More on the way: Player ratings, post game quotes and the infamous podcast.

The new Champions League format is not settling in well with the Real Madrid players, who have so far struggled to get to grips with the standard required to ensure progression. A shaky win, and disappointing loss did not leave fans confident ahead of last years fellow finalists Borussia Dortmund’s trip to the capital. The team was largely unchanged from those of late, with Lucas Vázquez keeping the right-back space, and Luka Modrić starting in midfield. Eduardo Camavinga found a place on the bench, joined by super-subs Endrick and Arda Güler. Luka Modrić captained the team in Europe.

Madrid looked lively enough early on, gaining the first chance of the game when Kylian Mbappé let out a goal bound shot that was well blocked to keep the ball out of the net. The game then lacked any genuine excitement, until Dortmund took the lead through a genius defence splitting, dragged pass that left the attacker in with all the time in the world. Thibaut Courtois had no chance to stop the shot from there. Thinks went from bad to worse when a low cross came into the box for a yellow attacker to tap home for two. Jude Bellingham had a glorious chance to salvage something in the first half, but directed his header straight at the keeper. Then, the craziest sequence I have seen in some time occurred as Rodrygo Goes smacked his shot off of the bar, only for Jude Bellingham to do the same with the rebound – before a deflected effort needed a world class save to keep Madrid out. Rodrygo then came close again, before Julian Brandt saw the half out with a chance that was comfortably saved by Courtois. Half-time: 0-2.

Lucas Vázquez tried to ignite another historic comeback with the first chance of the half – forcing a tremendous save from the goalkeeper. Vinícius Júnior then came close as the home side set the tone. Dortmund then created some danger with a snapshot coming it at Courtois, which he was equal to. Madrid needed someone to step up, and that inspiration would come through Antonio Rüdiger, who literally stepped up higher than anyone else to smash a header into the back of the net. Everyone knew it was happening from there on out, it was just a case of when. The answer would be straight away – as Vinícius Júnior managed to tap home almost instantly to equalise. The hunt for the winner was on. The game actually mellowed down from this point, with a low effort from Mbappé all that Madrid could muster until the final minutes of the game. Dortmund had a great chance to win the game, but Courtois produced a brilliant low save with his legs to save the day. Lucas Vázquez then took things into his own hands, playing a give and go with the opposition before giving the keeper no chance, making it 3-2 with little time left. Vinícius Júnior then sealed the deal with a Gareth Bale-esque run before his bouncing shot went under the keeper to make it 4-2. He wasn’t done there either, making the Dortmund defenders panic as he weaved his way through before scoring his third to make it a hat-tick… Magic. Full-time, and the first comeback of this new-style Champions League format was complete. What did you think about the match?