Vinicius Junior drew comparisons with Brazil legend Pele after his sublime solo goal in Real Madrid's 5-2 win against Borussia Dortmund.
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Vini Jr scores excellent solo goalBrazilian spearheads win with hat-trickSet to win his first Ballon d'OrFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Brazilian was labelled "extraordinary" by his manager in the wake of his hat-trick against Dortmund in the Champions League, and Real Madrid director Emilio Butragueno also joined in the plaudits. Vinicius' performance was another reminder of why he looks set to win the Ballon d'Or next week.
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The highlight of the evening was Vinicius' scintillating solo goal that made it 4-2 to Carlo Ancelotti's side. In the 86th minute, he collected the ball inside his own half before sprinting down the left flank, cutting inside and curling a beautiful effort into the bottom corner. The roar from inside the Bernabeu when the ball nestled into the net was electric.
WHAT BUTRAGUENO SAID
“He reminded me of Pele," legendary former Real striker Butragueno said. "He scored a magnificent goal. For anyone who loves football, it's worth coming to the Bernabeu to see a player capable of producing plays that evoke so many emotions among us.”
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR VINICIUS JR?
The 24-year-old will hope to be just as devastating when Real Madrid take on Barcelona on Saturday evening. Two days later, he's expected to receive the Ballon d'Or award for the first time in his career.