García and Mbappé send Real Madrid to Club World Cup semifinal with 3-2 win over Borussia
Despite pressure from Borussia and a tense ending, the Madrid club managed to hold onto their lead and continue the fight for the trophy, eliminating the German side from the tournament.
Photo: @realmadrid / x.com
USA, East Rutherford — In the final quarterfinal of the Club World Cup, Real Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund 3–2 and advanced to the semifinal, where they will face PSG.
In the 10th minute, Arda Güler delivered a cross from the wing, and Gonzalo García headed it in — his fourth goal of the tournament.
Eight minutes later, Trent Alexander-Arnold sent a low cross into the box, and Fran García doubled the lead for Madrid.
Borussia dominated possession but failed to hit the target in the first half. After the break, coach Niko Kovač made a triple substitution, but the team's play only worsened.
In stoppage time, Maximilian Beier pulled one back with a shot from outside the box. However, two minutes later, Kylian Mbappé scored a stunning bicycle kick — 3–1.
Shortly after, defender Dean Huijsen fouled Serhou Guirassy in the penalty area and was shown a straight red card. Guirassy converted the penalty to make it 3–2.
In the dying moments, Marcel Sabitzer had a chance to equalize, but Thibaut Courtois made a brilliant save under the crossbar, securing Real Madrid's spot in the semifinal.