Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund meet this weekend in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup at the Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford. The game is poised to be a hugely interesting fixture and is a repeat of the 2024 Champions League final, where Los Blancos ran out 2-0 winners.
Real Madrid arrive in New Jersey off the back of a steady, if unspectacular, run through the group stage and a narrow win in the Round of 16. Xabi Alonso’s side finished top of Group H, drawing with Al Hilal before recording victories over Pachuca and RB Salzburg. Their most recent outing was a 1-0 win against Juventus, secured by a second-half header from academy graduate Gonzalo Garcia. While largely forgettable, the win was a show of grit and organisation that hasn't necessarily been associated with Real Madrid in recent seasons, with Thibaut Courtois rarely troubled and the back line showing improved cohesion.
Kylian Mbappe, who missed the group stage through illness, returned as a substitute against Juventus and is expected to be available from the start for this quarter-final. His presence adds a direct threat to an attack that has otherwise relied on Vinicius Junior, academy graduate Gonzalo Garcia and the creativity and industry of Jude Bellingham. Alonso has shown flexibility in his tactical approach, alternating between a 3-4-3 and 4-3-3, and may continue to rotate personnel given the depth of his squad. The midfield, anchored by the excellent Fede Valverde, has been a standout feature of the team, while the defence could be further strengthened by the return of Eder Militao from injury.
All in all, there are plenty of positives to take from the first few games of Xabi Alonso's reign, but we're still quite far from seeing the end result, with the Spaniard's footballing worldview a stark contrast from that of Ancelotti.
Borussia Dortmund have reached the last eight after topping Group F and edging Monterrey 2-1 in the Round of 16. Serhou Guirassy was the match-winner, scoring both goals in the first half before Dortmund held off a spirited second-half response from the Mexican side. Earlier in the tournament, Dortmund recorded a narrow 1-0 win over Ulsan HD and a 2-2 draw with Fluminense.
Niko Kovac’s team have been resilient in a tournament where many European teams have fallen to non-European opponents, but they've also shown a worrying tendency to allow opponents back into games. The absence of Jobe Bellingham, suspended for this match, is a blow, particularly given the narrative of a potential meeting with his brother Jude. Dortmund’s attack will again look to Guirassy, supported by Julian Brandt and Karim Adeyemi, while the midfield is likely to feature Felix Nmecha and Pascal Groß. Defensively, the side has relied on the experience of Niklas Sule and the energy of Ramy Bensebaini, but lapses in concentration have been costly at times.
Dortmund are undoubtedly the underdogs for this tie but they'll feel quietly confident of overcoming a Madrid side that are clearly yet to reach their best level. Still, though, the talent in Madrid's squad is simply too big to ignore, and when push comes to shove, the players with a track record of getting it done on the biggest stage are usually the most likely to show up.
Real Madrid 2-1 Borussia Dortmund
