Brazilian stars shine with twin hattricks in UCL as Real script stunning comback & Barca thrash Bayern

 

UEFA Champions League witnesses Brazilian magic on back to back days . While Vinicius Junior scripts a sensational hattrick in one of the greatest comebacks in team sport , Raphinha's stunning goals get Barcelona a convincing win over strong opponents Bayern Munich in back to back high octane football matches . 

The UEFA Champions League and Real Madrid have become almost synonymous. Especially when trailing, Real Madrid seems even more dangerous, as players like Rodrygo and Valverde have proven time and again. This time, Borussia Dortmund fell victim, courtesy of Vinícius Júnior’s hat-trick. Despite being down by two goals, Carlo Ancelotti’s men handed Dortmund a crushing 5-2 defeat.

In last season’s Champions League final, Dortmund faced Real Madrid, with the Spanish club winning 2-0. At the Santiago Bernabéu, after the first half, it seemed like Dortmund was on track for revenge. Donyell Malen put the German club ahead in the 30th minute, and just four minutes later, his assist led to Gittens scoring their second goal. At that point, Mbappé and his teammates were still ineffective.

However, in the second half, Real Madrid applied relentless pressure. Finally, in the 60th minute, Rüdiger scored with a header, opening Real’s account. Just two minutes later, Vinícius Júnior added another, marking the beginning of Real’s comeback. In the 83rd minute, veteran Lucas Vázquez put Real ahead, shattering Dortmund’s resistance. By the 86th minute, Vinícius netted his second, sprinting from near his own box, leaving the tired Dortmund players behind and slotting the ball into the net. His hat-trick was completed in the 93rd minute, with a goal that was eerily similar. Real Madrid triumphed 5-2.

In other Champions League matches, PSG was held to a 1-1 draw by Dutch club PSV. Arsenal narrowly defeated Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0, while AC Milan secured a 3-1 win. However, Juventus, another Italian club, suffered a defeat in their match.

Meanwhile, Barcelona delivered a remarkable performance on Wednesday night, securing a commanding 4-1 victory over Bayern Munich, a feat they hadn't achieved in nearly nine years. This result is expected to make waves across European football.

Barcelona wasted no time, taking the lead in under a minute. Raphinha broke through Bayern's defensive line, dribbled past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, and calmly slotted the ball into the net. Bayern appeared to have equalized shortly before the 10-minute mark with a powerful header from Harry Kane, but VAR ruled him offside. Kane didn’t have to wait long for redemption, however, as he found the back of the net in the 20th minute with a spectacular volley from Serge Gnabry's cross.

Barcelona regained control just after the 30th minute when Robert Lewandowski finished expertly following a smart assist from Fermin Lopez, leaving Neuer helpless. The home side extended their lead right before halftime, with Raphinha scoring his second goal, firing a brilliant shot from the edge of the box after a well-placed cross-field pass from Marc Casado.

Ten minutes into the second half, Barcelona struck again. Raphinha completed his hat-trick with a composed chest control of Lamine Yamal's long pass, taking two touches before driving the ball into the bottom corner.