KLIK SAJA - Two European powerhouses, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, will clash once again in the FIFA Club World Cup on Saturday night (local time), battling for a place in the semifinals.
Familiar foes from the UEFA Champions League, the two sides now meet in New Jersey, with a ticket to the semifinals against either Dortmund’s domestic rival Bayern Munich or Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain at stake.
Real Madrid have shown increasingly convincing form since drawing their opening group-stage match against Al-Hilal.
They went on to defeat Pachuca and Red Bull Salzburg to secure a place in the round of 16, then eliminated Juventus.
Under new head coach Xabi Alonso—who demands higher work rate and tactical flexibility than his predecessor—Los Blancos have emerged as one of the most impressive teams in this revamped Club World Cup.
In their most recent match against Juve, Madrid recorded 11 shots on target—contributed by seven different players—but it was academy product Gonzalo Garcia who made the difference with a clinical second-half finish.
Though the final score didn’t fully reflect their dominance, the Spanish side advanced comfortably and will now play their 20th match at FIFA’s premier club competition.
Remarkably, they have never lost a match in the tournament, winning 16 times so far. As five-time champions, only Al-Hilal have managed to hold them since 2014.
Confidence is sky-high, especially considering Los Blancos have beaten Dortmund in each of their last four meetings—including a 5–2 win in Madrid last October.
Their most decisive encounter came in last season’s Champions League final, which was won by Madrid. The only time Dortmund have ever knocked out the La Liga giants was back in 2013.
While history may not favor the German side, their recent form should not be underestimated.
After finishing the Bundesliga season on a high note, BVB topped Group F by drawing against Fluminense, defeating Mamelodi Sundowns in a thrilling seven-goal match, and overcoming Ulsan HD.
In the round of 16, Dortmund scored twice before the 30th minute through Serhou Guirassy, who accounted for all six of their shots against Monterrey. Winger Karim Adeyemi played a starring role with two assists for Guirassy.
It’s fair to say that Die Schwarzgelben have undergone a major transformation under Croatian coach Niko Kovac in recent months—climbing from 11th to 4th in the Bundesliga and securing Champions League qualification for next season.
