You just knew it wouldn’t be simple for Real Madrid. Their clash with Borussia Dortmund, two teams very familiar with European battles, was all about earning a spot in the Club World Cup semifinals. And what a game it turned out to be, especially at the very end.
Real Madrid started like a freight train. Xabi Alonso’s team completely dominated the first 45 minutes. They pressed hard, combined beautifully on offense, and held a tight defense. Dortmund, missing Jobe Bellingham due to suspension, looked lost. They created almost nothing.
That strong control by Real Madrid paid off with two goals before halftime. Both goals highlighted the team’s exciting new young stars.
The first goal came quickly, just eight minutes in. Arda Guler sent a cross into the box. Gonzalo García was right there to finish it. This young Spanish talent showed amazing movement and top-tier finishing skills. It was Gonzalo’s fourth goal in the tournament, making him the top scorer so far. He shares that spot with former Benfica stars Di María and Marcos Leonardo.
Gonzalo wasn’t the only García making noise. Fran García also had a great start to the match, scoring the second goal in the 20th minute. It was a fantastic team play from Real Madrid. They linked up well in the final third. Trent got into the box and crossed it to Fran García, who burst in and slammed home the second goal.
At halftime, Dortmund coach Niko Kovac made three changes. Nmecha, Beier, and Yan Couto came on for Gross, Adeyemi, and Sule. Dortmund did start the second half with more energy and a desire to score. But even with the new players, their good start led to nothing.
Chances were rare early in the second half. Real Madrid tried to slow the game down. They gave the ball to Borussia Dortmund and looked to hit on the counter-attack. Dortmund had more possession but still struggled to create anything dangerous near the goal.
The game started to feel a bit dull. Xabi Alonso decided to shake things up, bringing on Mbappé, Modric, and Ceballos in the 67th minute. Vinícius, Bellingham, and Alexander-Arnold, who had quiet games, left the field.
These substitutions certainly woke up the crowd and the final part of the match. Just when everyone thought nothing else would happen, the game exploded. Three goals and a red card came after the 90th minute mark.
First, Beier pulled one back for the German side in the 93rd minute.
Then, immediately after, Mbappé scored what might have been the goal of the game. He unleashed a superb, acrobatic kick in the 94th minute.
But the drama wasn’t over yet. Huijsen fouled Guirassy inside the box, earning a red card. Guirassy stepped up to take the penalty in the 98th minute. The Guinean striker made no mistake, scoring and making the game a real nail-biter again.
However, there was no time for more. Real Madrid survived the wild finish and moved into the semifinals. They will now face Paris Saint-Germain in another classic European, and now global, football showdown.