Vinicius Jr was Real Madrid’s star man in their 5-2 win against Borussia Dortmund (Shutterstock)
Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho hailed Vinicius Jr after his hat-trick in Real Madrid’s Champions League comeback against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday evening.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side appeared to be on course for a surprise defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu as Dortmund took a two-goal lead into half time.
But the Champions League holders roared back in the second half as goals from Antonio Rudiger and Lucas Vazquez, plus a hat-trick from Vinicius Jr, sealed a 5-2 win.
Vinicius Jr is widely tipped to win the Ballon d’Or on Monday ahead of Manchester City midfielder Rodri after the Brazil international played a key role in Real Madrid’s La Liga and Champions League double last season.
After his latest dazzling display for Madrid, Vinicius Jr celebrated with a post on Instagram which read: ‘We are Real Madrid!’
In response to the winger’s post, United winger Garnacho wrote: ‘Big inspiration.’
Alejandro Garnacho hailed Vinicius Jr as a ‘big inspiration’ after Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund (Instagram)
It is not the first time Garnacho has shown his admiration for Vinicius Jr as he responded to another post from the Madrid winger in May with: ‘Best player in the world.’
Garnacho also swapped shirts with Vinicius Jr when United played Madrid in a pre-season friendly in July 2023.
Speaking after Madrid’s second-half comeback against Dortmund, Ancelotti said of Vinicius Jr: ‘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.’
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