Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images

A first comeback of the new Champions League era? Real Madrid 5-2 Borussia Dortmund (Rüdiger, Vinícius Júnior x3 & Vázquez). Business as usual in Europe. Here is my reaction to the comeback. More on the way: Player ratings, post game quotes and the infamous podcast.

The new Champions League format is not settling in well with the Real Madrid players, who have so far struggled to get to grips with the standard required to ensure progression. A shaky win, and disappointing loss did not leave fans confident ahead of last years fellow finalists Borussia Dortmund?s trip to the capital. The team was largely unchanged from those of late, with Lucas Vázquez keeping the right-back space, and Luka Modri? starting in midfield. Eduardo Camavinga found a place on the bench, joined by super-subs Endrick and Arda Güler. Luka Modri? captained the team in Europe.
? Our starting XI!
@BlackYellow#UCL pic.twitter.com/PLbzwFAy6K? Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) October 22, 2024

Madrid looked lively enough early on, gaining the first chance of the game when Kylian Mbappé let out a goal bound shot that was well blocked to keep the ball out of the net. The game then lacked any genuine excitement, until Dortmund took the lead through a genius defence splitting, dragged pass that left the attacker in with all the time in the world. Thibaut Courtois had no chance to stop the shot from there. Thinks went from bad t...