Madrid, Oct 23 (IANS): After Vinicius Junior's hat-trick inspired Real Madrid's stunning comeback 5-2 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League clash, Real manager Carlo Ancelotti called the Brazilian "an extraordinary character" and insisted he "will win the Ballon d'Or" based off his performances last season.
When Madrid were 0-2 down with 60 minutes played, Rudiger cut the deficit with a towering header on 60', before Vini Jr. made it 2-2 just two minutes later. With 83 minutes gone, Lucas Vazquez completed the turnaround before Vini Jr. treated the crowd to a wonderful individual moment to make it 4-2. The Brazilian wasn't done yet though, capping off a sublime display by completing his hat-trick with another moment of magic in injury time.
"It's unusual to see a player have a second half quite like that. It's strange to see now, or in the past. He brought energy, intensity, character... It was an extraordinary display. He gets jeered when we go to other stadiums because he can make the difference. He's respected in this country. He's helping reduce the racism issue, he's highly respected," Ancelotti said in post-match presser.
“He'll win the Ballon d'Or, but not for what he did tonight, rather what he did throughout last year, in helping us win the Champions League. These three goals will help him towards the next Ballon d'Or," he added.
Vini Jr. was named Player of the Match for his extraordinary display. Reflecting on his performance, he said, "When we came into the dressing room at half-time we were all very quiet and we just listened to the gaffer. He just told us one thing, that if we got the first goal, we'd make the comeback again. We managed to do it again thanks to the fans and the team, who really gave it their all. We're looking into how to play and the boss always finds ways to make games easier for us."
He further insisted that he will stay at Madrid forever, "Ancelotti told me to keep it up, that I can always do more. I'm still only 24, I want to stay here forever and contribute as much as possible to this team, which has given me everything since I arrived here."