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Vinícius' hat trick shows why he's the Ballon d'Or favorite

MADRID -- "Our crown, our trophy," read the banner, held up by fans behind the Santiago Bernabeu's south goal before kickoff.

Real Madrid are the reigning European champions, the 15-time UEFA Champions League winners, and, of course, the comeback kings, as they showed once again in this unpredictable, wildly entertaining 5-2 win over Borussia Dortmund.

This is a strange Madrid team, full of elite players, but often malfunctioning as a unit. They flirted with embarrassment against Dortmund before they decided to play the hits, and turn the game around, roared on by the Bernabeu crowd.