Real Madrid are the fourth and final team to reserve their spot in the FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) semi-finals, moving past Borussia Dortmund 3-2 to secure a 14th win from their last 15 CWC games.
Real Madrid have been warming to the task at the CWC and under new boss Xabi Alonso, and they made the perfect start to their quarter-final tie.
Arda Güler was afforded too much space down the Madrid left and he floated a perfect cross onto the boot of Gonzalo García, who volleyed the Spanish side into the lead from six yards with his fourth goal of the tournament.
There was no stopping Alonso’s men in the opening stages, and they doubled their advantage after 20 minutes when their two wing-backs combined, with Fran García weeping home Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross at the far post.
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_______________________________________________Dortmund were pushing their luck throughout the opening 45 minutes, and two audacious efforts from Vinicius Junior almost placed the game beyond them.
Twice he spotted Gregor Kobel off his line, and twice his 40-yard strikes were unsuccessful in lobbing the Dortmund stopper, but they served as a huge warning sign for the German outfit.
Niko Kovač’s men were never likely to be underestimated by Madrid, given they’d won nine of their last ten in all competitions - but they were being stifled by Los Blancos and showing few signs of being able to make a recovery.
MomentumOpta by StatsPerformThey did eventually test Thibaut Courtois’ resistance on the hour mark through Julian Brandt, whose low steer was easily collected by the Belgian stopper.
Perhaps sensing the game was swinging in Dortmund’s favour, Alonso looked to his bench to present Luka Modric and Kylian Mbappe in a offer to change the flow of the game, and introducing the Croatian almost paid immediate dividends when he establish himself unmarked on the edge of the area, but his effort trickled into the grateful hands of Kobel.
Madrid were in total control for most of the closing stages and offered Dortmund the run around at times with some of the free-flowing passing, but that didn’t prevent Maximilian Beier snatching a late consolation goal.
A frantic terminate to the game ensued as Mbappe acrobatically volleyed home just seconds after the restart, but the action wasn’t completed there.
Dortmund moved straight on the offensive from the restart and acquired a penalty when Serhou Guirassy was hauled down in the area by Dean Huijsen, who was subsequently sent off.
The Guinean international dusted himself off and converted from the spot to round off a crazy stoppage-time period.
Alonso’s men will confront perhaps their toughest test yet in the semi-finals as they lock horns with European champions PSG, but having won four games in a row, they ought to be confident.
As for Dortmund, their maiden CWC appearance is over and so is their 10-match unbeaten run.
Betopick Man of the Match: Fran Garcia (Real Madrid)Key match statsOpta by StatsPerformCatch up on the match here.
