Vinícius nets hat trick in win as three Real Madrid players go down injured

AP Soccer — Vinícius Júnior scored a hat trick to lead Real Madrid a 4-0 win over Osasuna on Saturday in a much-needed victory that was dampened when teammate Éder Militão left on a stretcher.

Madrid had heard jeers in its previous two home games — a 4-0 loss to fierce rival Barcelona and 3-1 defeat to AC Milan.

But the easy victory may have come at the high price.

Militão was taken off after the central defender crumbled to the turf while screaming and clutching the back of his right knee shortly before halftime. Rodrygo and Lucas Vázquez also were unable to continue after apparently sustaining muscle injuries in the first half.

Vinícius, who felt overlooked when the Ballon d’Or went to Spain’s Rodri last week, got his second hat trick of the season and took his overall tally to 12 goals. Jude Bellingham’s goal had made it 2-0.

Madrid is in second place in the Spanish league at six points behind leader Barcelona.

Rodrygo appeared to sustain a muscle injury early in the game. The forward, who missed the “clasico” due to another injury, wept as the walked gingerly to the bench, where a team medic put ice on his left leg.

Worse was to come for coach Carlo Ancelotti when Militão went down. He pulled his jersey over his face as he was carried off in a stretcher on the half-hour mark.

A numbed Santiago Bernabeu was brought alive by Vinícius when he cut back and curled in the opener in the 34th minute.

Madrid right back Dani Carvajal was already ruled out out for the season with a serious leg injury. Goalkeeper Courtois Thibaut, David Alaba and Aurélien Tchouaméni were also unavailable with their own injuries.

Ancelotti replaced Militão with youth team player Raúl Asencio, who made the most of his debut by delivering a long lobbed pass that Bellingham used one touch to chip over goalkeeper Sergio Herrera to double the lead in the 42nd.

Vinícius ran onto another long pass, this time by ‘keeper Andriy Lunin, before rounding Herrera to make it 3-0 in the 61st. He got his third after substitute Brahim Díaz stole the ball from defender Flavien-Enzo Boyomo and laid off for his scoring partner in the 69th.

While Vinícius soared, strike partner Kylian Mbappé remained in the doldrums and failed to score following France not calling him up for a second straight international period.

Osasuna, the only team to beat Barcelona in the league this campaign, failed to get a shot on goal.

Before kickoff, Madrid unfurled a huge banner in the stands representing the flag for Spain’s Valencia region during a moment of silence for more than 200 people who died in last week’s catastrophic floods in eastern Spain.