Egypt Daily News – Real Madrid secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund on Saturday night to advance to the semifinals of the FIFA Club World Cup. The quarterfinal clash, held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, delivered a high-octane European showdown filled with goals, tension, and last-minute drama.
Garcia and Garcia Put Madrid in Control
The reigning European champions struck early, with Gonzalo Garcia opening the scoring in the 10th minute. The young forward rose above the defense to head in a pinpoint cross, marking his fourth goal of the tournament—tying Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for the most goals by a Real Madrid player in a single Club World Cup edition.
Left-back Juan Garcia doubled Madrid’s lead in the 20th minute with a well-taken finish from close range following a rebound, giving the Spanish giants a 2-0 advantage heading into halftime.
Late Drama Lights Up Second Half
The second half remained goalless until stoppage time, when the game exploded into life. Dortmund pulled one back in the 92nd minute through Maximilian Beier, sparking hopes of a late comeback.
Just two minutes later, Real Madrid responded with a moment of brilliance. Kylian Mbappé, who had been relatively quiet, made his mark with a spectacular bicycle kick in the 94th minute to make it 3-1—his first goal of the tournament.
Dortmund managed to reduce the deficit again in the 96th minute when striker Serhou Guirassy converted a penalty. The spot kick was awarded after Guirassy was brought down in the box by Madrid defender Dean Huijsen, who was shown a straight red card for the foul.
Despite the late scare, Madrid held on to seal their place in the final four.
Starting Lineups
Real Madrid:
Goalkeeper: Courtois
Defense: Juan Garcia, Huijsen, Rüdiger, Arnold
Midfield: Bellingham, Tchouaméni, Valverde
Attack: Vinícius Jr., Gonzalo Garcia, Arda Güler
Borussia Dortmund:
Goalkeeper: Kobel
Defense: Anton, Bensebaïni, Süle, Ryerson
Midfield: Brandt, Pascal Groß, Sabitzer, Svensson
Attack: Guirassy, Adeyemi
Madrid to Face PSG in Semifinals
With this victory, Real Madrid will face Paris Saint-Germain in a much-anticipated semifinal on Tuesday, July 9 at 10:00 PM Cairo time.
Madrid had previously defeated Juventus 1-0 in the Round of 16, with the lone goal coming in a hard-fought match at Hard Rock Stadium. They topped Group H with seven points, ahead of Saudi side Al Hilal, who finished with five. Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg and Mexico’s Pachuca were eliminated in the group stage.
Dortmund reached the quarterfinals after a thrilling 2-1 win over Monterrey of Mexico in Atlanta. The German side had dominated Group F, finishing with seven points in a competitive group.
Madrid Chasing Sixth Title
Real Madrid remains the most decorated club in Club World Cup history under the tournament’s previous format, with five titles. They are aiming to add a sixth and extend their legacy at the top. Barcelona trails with three titles, followed by Bayern Munich, Corinthians, and São Paulo with two each.
The stage is now set for a heavyweight semifinal clash as Madrid prepare to meet French champions PSG in what promises to be another explosive encounter.
