Drama unfolded at East Rutherford as Real Madrid controlled the match for 90 minutes, only to come dangerously close to extra time, rescued in the dying seconds by a stunning Courtois save. The match ended 3-2 in favour of the Spanish giants, who now progress to the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup, where they will face Paris Saint-Germain.
From the outset, Real Madrid were dominant, exploiting a major weakness on Dortmund’s left flank. Ryerson struggled to contain Fran Garcia, who created three chances in the opening minutes. The breakthrough came in the 9th minute via a cross from Arda Turan, finished by Gonzalo Garcia, a player increasingly being seen as Raúl’s heir. Garcia now has four goals and one assist in the tournament, making him the current top scorer.
Ten minutes later, the lead was doubled. A move from one flank to the other ended with a pinpoint cross by Alexander-Arnold and a powerful finish by Fran Garcia. At 2-0, Madrid kept pushing, with Vinicius Junior going close to a third and Jude Bellingham wasting a golden chance.
In the second half, Dortmund coach Niko Kovac made three changes, bringing on Nmecha, Beier, and Yan Couto in an attempt to change the rhythm. However, Real Madrid continued to dictate play, with Tchouaméni hitting the crossbar, albeit with play already stopped.
A potential turning point came in the 64th minute when referee Abatti opted not to send off Yan Couto for a dangerous tackle on Fran Garcia. Late in the game, Xabi Alonso brought on Luka Modric and Kylian Mbappé, wisely resting players on a yellow card, including Bellingham and Vinicius Junior, who will now be available for the semi-final.
Madrid came close to sealing the win through the fresh legs of Modric and Mbappé, as well as Valverde. But in the 92nd minute, Beier capitalised on a defensive lapse to reduce the deficit to 2-1. Mbappé appeared to seal it with a goal two minutes later, celebrating with a tribute to Diogo Jota by mimicking the number 20.
Yet the drama wasn’t over. From the restart, Huijsen fouled Guirassy in the box, earning a red card and conceding a penalty. Guirassy converted in the 97th minute to make it 3-2, and in the 99th, Courtois produced a match-saving stop to deny Sabitzer and prevent extra time.
Real Madrid progress to the semi-finals with a narrow 3-2 win, but they will be without the suspended Huijsen. They now face PSG, a clash that already feels like a final, with the French side missing Pacho and Lucas Hernandez, both suspended.
