• Real Madrid's French defender Ferland Mendy (R) celebrates with forward Vinicius Junior after scoring the opening goal in the 6-0 La Liga win against Levante at the Santiago Bernabeu on May 12, 2022. AFP
    Real Madrid's French defender Ferland Mendy (R) celebrates with forward Vinicius Junior after scoring the opening goal in the 6-0 La Liga win against Levante at the Santiago Bernabeu on May 12, 2022. AFP
  • Ferland Mendy scores Real Madrid opening goal. AP
    Ferland Mendy scores Real Madrid opening goal. AP
  • Mendy celebrates with teammate Vinicius Junior. EPA
    Mendy celebrates with teammate Vinicius Junior. EPA
  • Karim Benzema scores Real's second goal. AFP
    Karim Benzema scores Real's second goal. AFP
  • Karim Benzema celebrates with teammate Lucas Vazquez. EPA
    Karim Benzema celebrates with teammate Lucas Vazquez. EPA
  • Real Madrid's Rodrygo celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's third goal. AP
    Real Madrid's Rodrygo celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's third goal. AP
  • Rodrygo scores the third goal. AP
    Rodrygo scores the third goal. AP
  • Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior scores his team's fourth goal. AFP
    Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior scores his team's fourth goal. AFP
  • Vinicius Junior celebrates the fourth. AFP
    Vinicius Junior celebrates the fourth. AFP
  • Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's fifth goal. AP
    Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's fifth goal. AP
  • Vinicius Junior celebrates scoring his team's fourth goal. AFP
    Vinicius Junior celebrates scoring his team's fourth goal. AFP
  • Vinicius Junior celebrates with teammate Ferland Mendy. EPA
    Vinicius Junior celebrates with teammate Ferland Mendy. EPA
  • Vinicius Junior celebrates with Karim Benzema after scoring the fifth goal. AFP
    Vinicius Junior celebrates with Karim Benzema after scoring the fifth goal. AFP
  • Vinicius Junior scores the sixth goal. AP
    Vinicius Junior scores the sixth goal. AP

Vinicius Junior smashes hat-trick as Real Madrid go goal crazy - in pictures


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Vinicius Junior scored a hat-trick as La Liga champions Real Madrid thrashed relegated Levante 6-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Thursday in their build-up to the Champions League final against Liverpool.

Vinicius did not get on the scoresheet until the final minute of the first half, after Ferland Mendy had fired Real in front after 13 minutes having been played in by Luka Modric, and Karim Benzema quickly doubled the lead from a Vinicius cross.

France striker Benzema continues to add his name to Real's record books. It was his 323rd goal, to draw level with Raul as the club’s second-highest scorer behind Cristiano Ronaldo.

Rodrygo put the game beyond doubt in the 34th minute from another Modric pass, and the Croatian bagged his third assist when he set up Vinicius to score from a tight angle on the stroke of half-time.

The Brazilian tapped in another in the 68th minute and completed his hat-trick seven minutes from time, with Modric again the architect.

Real, already champions in Spain, face Liverpool in the Champions League final in Paris on May 28

Updated: May 12, 2022, 10:00 PM