Vinicius Junior’s hat trick powers Real Madrid to stunning comeback as PSG drops points again

In a thrilling Champions League night, Vinicius Junior delivered a hat trick as Real Madrid mounted a sensational comeback to beat Borussia Dortmund 5-2, while Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) stumbled with a 1-1 draw against PSV Eindhoven.

Madrid’s Dramatic Turnaround

Trailing 2-0 at halftime in a rematch of last season’s final, Real Madrid faced a hostile Santiago Bernabeu crowd. Boos filled the stadium as the team appeared to be heading towards its second consecutive Champions League defeat, ending a remarkable 14-match unbeaten streak in the competition. However, the second half told a different story.

Vinicius Junior, who also scored in last season’s final, led the charge with three goals. Antonio Rudiger and Lucas Vazquez added to the tally, sealing a memorable win for Madrid. Reflecting on the comeback, Vinicius highlighted the team’s unwavering belief.

“When we are at home, anything can happen,” he said. “We stayed calm in the locker room, listened to the coach, and agreed that scoring the first goal would turn everything around—and we did it again.”

PSG’s Frustration Continues

PSG’s struggles persisted as they managed only a 1-1 draw with PSV Eindhoven. Achraf Hakimi’s second-half goal leveled the score after PSG trailed at halftime. However, they failed to capitalize on their chances, and a last-minute penalty was overturned by VAR, leaving PSG with just four points from three games.

AC Milan Ends Wait for Champions League Win

Elsewhere, AC Milan earned their first win in the new Champions League format, defeating Brugge 3-1. United States forward Christian Pulisic scored directly from a corner, a rare feat known as an “Olimpico,” which he admitted was unintentional. Despite playing most of the game with 10 men following Raphael Onyedika’s red card, Brugge briefly drew level through Kyriani Sabbe before Tijjani Reijnders struck twice to secure the win for Milan.

The match also saw 16-year-old Francesco Camarda make his Champions League debut, becoming the youngest Italian to do so. Camarda almost broke another record as the youngest scorer, but his goal was disallowed for offside.

Arsenal Bounces Back but Faces New Injury Concerns

Arsenal returned to winning ways with a narrow 1-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk, but not without consequences. An own goal secured the win, but injuries continued to plague the team. With Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka already sidelined, manager Mikel Arteta now faces a new challenge as left-back Riccardo Calafiori suffered a knee injury ahead of their upcoming Premier League clash with Liverpool.

Aston Villa’s Historic Champions League Run

Aston Villa maintained their perfect start, becoming the only team to win all three of their games in the new Champions League format. Goals from John McGinn and Jhon Duran in the second half secured a 2-0 victory over Bologna, keeping Unai Emery’s side on top of the standings.

Other Notable Results

El Bilal Touré scored in stoppage time to give Stuttgart a 1-0 win at Juventus, which ended with 10 men for the second consecutive game. Wilfried Singo’s long-range strike helped Monaco thrash Red Star Belgrade 5-1, keeping the French club unbeaten with seven points.

Meanwhile, Girona secured their first-ever Champions League victory with a 2-0 win over Slovan Bratislava, and Sporting Lisbon defeated Sturm Graz 2-0 to cap off an action-packed night in Europe’s top competition.

With more drama unfolding in this season’s Champions League, all eyes are now on Wednesday’s fixtures, where Liverpool, Bayer Leverkusen, Brest, and Benfica will aim to join Aston Villa at the top of the standings.