Long-time rivals in the UEFA Champions League, the two sides now meet in New Jersey, with a place in the last four up for grabs. The winner will go on to face either Dortmund’s domestic rivals, Bayern Munich, or a dominant Paris Saint-Germain side.
Real Madrid have picked up serious momentum since drawing their opening group match against Al-Hilal. They went on to defeat both Pachuca and Red Bull Salzburg to reach the last 16, where they then took care of Juventus.
With Xabi Alonso now in charge, Madrid have looked sharp. His style demands more intensity and tactical flexibility compared to his predecessor, and it’s paid off. They’ve emerged as one of the standout teams in this new-look Club World Cup.
In their last match against Juve, Real had 11 shots on target from seven different players. But it was academy product Gonzalo Garcia who made the difference, scoring a composed second-half winner.
The match was more one-sided than the score suggested. With that win, Madrid now prepare to play a record 20th game in FIFA’s top club competition. Even more impressive, they have never lost a match at the Club World Cup. With 16 wins to date and five titles already under their belt, only Al-Hilal have managed to slow them down since 2014.
Confidence is understandably high. Madrid have also won their last four matches against Dortmund, including a 5-2 victory in Madrid last October. Of course, the biggest recent meeting between the two came in last season’s Champions League final, which Real also won. The only time Dortmund have knocked out Madrid was back in 2013.
While history favors the Spanish side, Dortmund come into this match with real momentum. They ended the Bundesliga season on a high, then topped Group F by drawing with Fluminense, winning a seven-goal thriller against Mamelodi Sundowns, and beating Ulsan HD.
In the round of 16, they made a fast start against Monterrey, scoring twice before the 30-minute mark. Serhou Guirassy was at the heart of it, taking all six of their shots and scoring both, thanks to two assists from an in-form Karim Adeyemi.
Under Croatian coach Niko Kovac, Dortmund have been revitalized. They climbed from 11th to fourth in the Bundesliga and secured a Champions League spot for next season. That turnaround has carried over into the Club World Cup.
Dortmund have now won nine of their last ten matches, drawing the other against Bayern Munich. Much of the credit goes to Kovac, who has steered the team through an impressive resurgence.
The club famously won the Intercontinental Cup back in 1997 after being crowned European champions. Now, they have their sights set on winning the Club World Cup for the first time. But to do that, they’ll have to get past tournament heavyweights Real Madrid.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Xabi Alonso knows Saturday’s opponents well, having faced them several times during his time managing Bayer Leverkusen. That familiarity might make him think twice about making any bold tactical changes.During this tournament in the U.S., Real Madrid’s Basque manager has shifted from a traditional 4-3-3 formation to his preferred 3-5-2. But it’s still unclear which setup he’ll go with for this crucial match.
One of the big decisions lies up front. La Liga’s top scorer, Kylian Mbappe, returned from a bout of gastroenteritis in the win over Juventus. At the same time, his lesser-known replacement, Gonzalo Garcia, has been stealing the spotlight with four goal contributions so far.
In midfield, former Dortmund star Jude Bellingham is set to face his old club again. He made 132 appearances for them before moving to Madrid and has already assisted two goals in two games against his former side since the transfer.
Unfortunately, fans hoping for a showdown between the Bellingham brothers will be disappointed. Jobe Bellingham is suspended after picking up a second yellow card of the tournament in Dortmund’s win over Monterrey. In his absence, Marcel Sabitzer or Julian Brandt are likely to step into the starting lineup.
Leading the attack for Dortmund is Serhou Guirassy, who has scored three times already this summer and has an impressive record of 64 goals in 101 Bundesliga games.
Both teams are dealing with injury setbacks. Dortmund will be without Emre Can, Salih Ozcan, and Nico Schlotterbeck. On Madrid’s side, Eduardo Camavinga, David Alaba, Endrick, and Ferland Mendy are also unavailable.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:Courtois; Rudiger, Tchouameni, Huijsen; Alexander-Arnold, Bellingham, Valverde, Guler, Garcia; Mbappe, Vinicius
Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:
Kobel; Sule, Anton, Bensebaini; Ryerson, Nmecha, Gross, Svensson; Sabitzer, Adeyemi; Guirassy
EXPERT PREDICTION
Real Madrid 3-1 Borussia Dortmund
With a talented squad that appears to be fully embracing Xabi Alonso’s tactics and training methods, their quality should be on full display in New Jersey.
