Carlo Ancelotti has backed Vinicius Junior to win the Ballon d’Or this season after the Brazilian scored a hat-trick in Real Madrid’s 5-2 comeback victory over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, Soccernet.football reports.
In a rematch of their Champions League final from June, the Bundesliga side appeared poised for revenge at the Bernabeu, with Donyell Malen and Jamie Gittens giving them a two-goal lead by halftime.
However, Antonio Rudiger’s header in the 60th minute sparked Real Madrid’s comeback, and Vinicius equalized two minutes later, setting the stage for a thrilling finish.
Lucas Vazquez completed the turnaround, and Vinicius showcased his brilliance in the final moments, scoring twice more to secure his third hat-trick for Los Blancos.
Vinicius is widely expected to claim the Ballon d’Or for his performances in Madrid’s Champions League and La Liga triumphs last year, with Ancelotti confident the 24-year-old will win the award.
“What I can say is that it’s rare to see a player who plays a second half like Vinicius did,” Ancelotti said as quoter by Reuters.
“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.”
After a poor first half where Los Blancos managed just one shot on target from nine attempts, the game seemed out of reach. However, Ancelotti insisted there was no panic in the dressing room at halftime.
“We lived it calmly, calmly (over the break). We changed the system and came back playing more intensely,” the Italian tactician continued.
“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.”