By Olaitan Ibrahim
In a pulsating FIFA Club World Cup quarter-final, Real Madrid secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund, advancing to the semi-finals despite a late scare.
The match, officiated by Ramon Abatti, was a rollercoaster of goals, a red card, and a dramatic penalty, showcasing both teams’ attacking flair and defensive resilience.
Real Madrid struck early, with Gonzalo Garcia opening the scoring in the 10th minute. Latching onto a superb lofted pass from Arda Guler, Garcia fired a brilliant shot into the right side of the goal, setting the tone for Madrid’s dominance.
In the 20th minute, Fran Garcia doubled the lead, capitalizing on a precise pass to slot a low effort into the middle of the net.
Dortmund struggled to respond, with Julian Brandt’s header in the 6th minute narrowly missing and Pascal Gross’s long-range effort in the 12th comfortably saved by Thibaut Courtois.
Dortmund’s attacking attempts were thwarted by Real Madrid’s defense, with Courtois making key interventions, including a clearance against a threatening run by Karim Adeyemi in the 16th minute.
Despite Dortmund earning corners and free kicks, their efforts, such as Daniel Svensson’s cross in the 26th minute, were consistently neutralized.
The second half saw Dortmund’s Niko Kovac make tactical changes, introducing Maximilian Beier, Yan Couto, and Felix Nmecha at halftime.
Beier nearly pulled one back in the 61st minute, but his measured shot was saved by Courtois. Real Madrid, under Xabi Alonso, responded with substitutions of their own, bringing on Kylian Mbappe, Luka Modric, and Dani Ceballos in the 67th minute to maintain their edge.