Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund
Así gana el Madrid. What a dominant performance from Los Blancos. Yes, there was a bit of a scare at the very end, but the outcome was always going to be the same. Madrid to the semis, into the top 4, and seriously gunning for the title now. MetLife Stadium was packed to the brim for this one, thousands bearing the heat just to see Madrid do what they do best. Almost like watching a greatest hits show. Even got an Mbappe scissor kick, with a side of Courtois heroics at the end. Worth every single penny. Yet another memorable match at this Club World Cup that left us with unforgettable frames.
Photography by: Peter Bonilla & Rodolfho Chona
Real Madrid needed every ounce of their pedigree—and a moment of pure genius from Kylian Mbappé—to survive a frenetic finish and defeat Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in a dramatic FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal at MetLife Stadium.
On a sweltering afternoon that ended with fans on their feet and hearts pounding, Madrid looked in cruise control after first-half goals from Gonzalo García and Fran García gave them a 2-0 lead. But stoppage time chaos ensued: three goals, a red card, and a last-gasp save from Thibaut Courtois ensured Xabi Alonso’s side advanced to face Paris Saint-Germain in a blockbuster semifinal.
“We were doing really well and the match looked under control,” Alonso said. “Then the last 10 minutes got crazy. But we’re through, and that’s what matters.”
Madrid were dominant early, fueled once again by the emergence of Gonzalo García. The 21-year-old, starting ahead of a recovering Mbappé, opened the scoring in the 10th minute, expertly volleying home an Arda Güler cross for his fourth goal of the tournament.
Ten minutes later, left back Fran García doubled the lead, finishing off a sharp move with a low first-time strike from a Trent Alexander-Arnold cutback—his second assist in as many matches.
Dortmund, listless in the first half, responded with urgency after the break. A triple substitution by Niko Kovac at halftime shifted the momentum, and substitute Maximilian Beier tested Courtois on the hour with a low drive.
Just as Madrid looked set to coast home, the match exploded in stoppage time.
First, Beier punished a sloppy Antonio Rüdiger clearance to pull one back in the 93rd minute. But almost immediately, Mbappé—on as a second-half sub—produced a moment of magic, soaring into the air to fire home an outrageous bicycle kick that stunned the 76,611 in attendance.
The Paris-bound striker, honoring the late Diogo Jota in his celebration, appeared to have iced the game. Instead, Madrid immediately conceded a penalty when Dean Huijsen brought down Serhou Guirassy and was shown a red card. Guirassy converted to make it 3-2 in the 98th.
Courtois then preserved the win with a fingertip save on Marcel Sabitzer’s last-second effort, drawing roars of relief from the Madrid-heavy crowd at the stadium set to host the 2026 World Cup final.
Gonzalo García continues to be the revelation of the tournament. With four goals, he’s now joint-top scorer and justifying every minute of trust placed in him by Alonso.
“He’s in the right place, at the right time,” Alonso said. “And he’s making the most of it.”
Madrid now face PSG in the semifinals on Wednesday—Mbappé's former club in the same stadium, in a match that now feels like destiny. If his bicycle kick was any preview, something special may be brewing.
