'Ballon d'Or winner' - 'Unstoppable' Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior praised after hat-trick heroics against Dortmund
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Updated 23/10/2024 at 14:24 GMT+1
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior underlined his Ballon d'Or credentials with a superb second-half hat-trick in a 5-2 win over Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday. TNT Sports pundit Owen Hargreaves backed the Brazilian to scoop the award next week, describing Vinicius as "unstoppable". Karen Carney said Dortmund's defenders were "petrified of him" after the German side capitulated at the Bernabeu.
Hargreaves calls Vinicius 'unstoppable' as he tips him for Ballon d'Or glory
Video credit: TNT Sports
Owen Hargreaves has backed Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior to win the Ballon d’Or after his “unstoppable” performance against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League.
The Brazilian scored a sensational second-half hat-trick in a repeat of last season’s final as reigning champions Real overturned a 2-0 half-time deficit to win 5-2 at the Bernabeu.
Vinicius is considered one of the favourites to claim the Ballon d’Or, football’s most prestigious individual prize, when the award winner is announced next week.
Speaking on the TNT Sports' Goals Show, former England international Hargreaves explained why he thinks the Real Madrid wing wizard deserves the award.
“That's been the big difference now, his finishing is crazy. His decision-making in front of goal is amazing,” Hargreaves said.
“He looked very angry in the second half. I don't know what Carlo [Ancelotti] said to him, but if he plays like that, he's definitely unstoppable.
“We saw those clips there – four or five bodies around him, and they can't even deal with him. If you're going to do it, you've got to do it together. I just think with a player like Vini you've got to try and bump him, get him off balance.
“If he gets a head start, forget about it. The way he played in the second half, that's unstoppable. Ballon d'Or winner.”
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Highlights: Vinicius stars with hat-trick as Real roar back to beat Dortmund
Video credit: TNT Sports
Carney – Dortmund were ‘petrified’ of Vinicius
TNT Sports expert Karen Carney also heaped praise on Vinicius, who scored his treble in the space of half an hour.
The goals were spectacular individual efforts where he carved open the German side’s defence with speed and dribbling before showing impressive composure in front of goal.
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'Electric' Vinicius makes 'really good players look like amateurs' with hat-trick
Video credit: TNT Sports
“He’s got no right,” she said of his final two goals.
“There are about five players who could have dealt with him and none of them did.
“His biggest weapon is that he can go both sides, right, left. They are just petrified of him. Everyone is petrified of him. He’s on fire.”
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