Holders Real Madrid extended their unbeaten run at home in the UEFA Champions League to 15 matches with a stunning 5-2 comeback victory against Borussia Dortmund, who surrendered a 2-0 lead in a thrilling contest.
Dortmund’s early dominance and attacking intent were clear as they took the lead in the 30th minute. A well-crafted passing sequence saw Ramy Bensebaini deliver a clever reverse pass to Donyell Malen.
Although Malen initially lost possession, Julian Brandt quickly recovered the ball and set up Serhou Guirassy, who held it up before threading a perfect pass to Malen. The Dutchman slotted the ball past the stunned Santiago Bernabéu crowd to make it 1-0.
Dortmund’s confidence grew, and just minutes later, they doubled their advantage.
Malen again played a key role, driving past Ferland Mendy on the right flank before delivering a precise square pass for Jamie Gittens, who calmly finished to put Dortmund 2-0 up.
Real Madrid, shaken by the two-goal deficit, began to push for a response. Jude Bellingham, formerly of Dortmund, had a golden opportunity to pull one back for Madrid but saw his weak header from Vinícius Júnior’s cross easily saved by Gregor Kobel.
Moments later, Bellingham came closer, hammering a shot against the crossbar while Rodrygo struck the woodwork.
Dortmund, however, nearly extended their lead before the break when Brandt unleashed a powerful long-range effort that forced a superb save from Thibaut Courtois.
Despite their strong first half, Dortmund knew they would face a fierce second-half onslaught from the reigning champions.
Real Madrid finally broke through on the hour mark, with Kylian Mbappé whipping in a teasing cross that Antonio Rüdiger headed powerfully into the net to bring the hosts back into the game.
Madrid’s momentum continued, and just minutes later, Luka Modrić threaded a pass to Mbappé, whose shot was blocked by Nico Schlotterbeck. However, the ball fell kindly to Vinícius Júnior, who tucked it home to level the score at 2-2.
Carlo Ancelotti responded by bringing on Eduardo Camavinga for Modrić, and the substitution proved pivotal as Madrid piled on the pressure.
In the 83rd minute, Dortmund’s resistance crumbled when Lucas Vázquez pounced on a loose ball and fired home, putting Madrid in the lead for the first time.
Dortmund’s Maximilian Beier nearly equalized, but Courtois produced a lightning-quick reflex save to deny him.
Vinícius Júnior sealed the victory in style, embarking on a dazzling solo run before cutting inside and finishing with precision. He completed his hat-trick in stoppage time, smashing home from close range to cap off a remarkable comeback.
With this win, Real Madrid are now level on points with Dortmund in the Champions League group standings and head into Saturday’s highly anticipated El Clásico against Barcelona full of confidence. Nuri Şahin’s Dortmund, meanwhile, must quickly regroup ahead of their Bundesliga clash with Augsburg.
