Real Madrid hero Marcelo shares message for Vinicius Jr after he scores hat-trick in Champions League win over Dortmund
Marcelo has sent a message to Vinicius Jr after the Real Madrid star scored a hattrick against Borussia Dortmund during their Champions League clash on Tuesday (October 22). The legendary Brazilian defender admitted that he was proud of his countryman after his heroics in Los Blancos' 5-2 victory.
Marcelo shared the Real Madrid star's post on Instagram in which he was holding the match ball and the Man Of The Match award. He captioned the story:
"Orgulhoso de vc moleque craque"
which translates to:
"Proud of you, kid, ace"
Manager Carlo Ancelotti was also full of praise for the Brazilian and stated that it was rare to see a player have an extraordinary half like Vinicius Jr on Tuesday. He said via ESPN:
"It's unusual for a player to have a second half like he did. He played with energy and intensity, with extraordinary character. I think [Vinicius] will win it, but not because of what he did tonight. It will be because of what he did last season. The three goals tonight will help him win the next Ballon d'Or!"
Lucas Vazquez, who scored in the 83rd minutes for Real, also sang praises for Vinicus Jr after the win. He said:
"Vini Jr. had an unbelievable second half. It's one to show the kids so they understand how football should be played, with that intensity and the hunger to go after the goals. He's shown yet again that he's the most decisive player in the world, he had an unbelievable second half."
Vinicus Jr scored a hattrick in the second half to help Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund. The home side was 2-0 down at halftime but managed to win 5-2 in the end.
Vinicius Jr wants to remain at Real Madrid for his entire career
Vinicius Jr, who has been at Real Madrid since 2018, has set sights on staying at the club for his career. He wants to contribute to as many trophies as possible and has already set sights on winning UEFA Champions League again this season.
The 24-year-old told Movistar via ESPN:
"I'm still only 24. I want to stay here forever and contribute as much as possible to this team, which has given me everything since I arrived here. [Real Madrid coach Carlo] Ancelotti told me to keep it up, that I can always do more. But we have to improve and play like this from the off, otherwise the coach won't be able to take it. This is our competition and we want to win it again."
He added:
"We know that at home, with our fans, anything can happen. When we got to the dressing room [at halftime] we were very quiet, we just listened to the boss.. And he said one thing: if we score the first goal, we're going to come back. And we did it."
Real Madrid face Barcelona in LaLiga on October 26 and both sides are going in with a win. While the Blancos beat Dortmund 5-2, the Catalan side managed a 4-1 win over Bayern Munich.