Real Madrid advanced to the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals after a nail-biting finale against Borussia Dortmund. They owe their advancement to the French World Cup champion and Golden Boot winner.
Real Madrid defeated Dortmund 3-2 in their quarterfinal encounter on Saturday, June 5, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, thanks to Kylian Mbappe’s late strike and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois’ key save.
Gonzalo Garcia scored his fourth goal in five competitive matches, volleying in Arda Guler’s cross in the tenth minute, and Fran Garcia tapped in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross ten minutes later.
Madrid was on track for a 2-0 victory when Dortmund’s substitute Maximilian Beier scored the first goal, creating a frantic finish.
Mbappe scored his first goal at the Club World Cup (90’+4′) with excellent timing. His fallaway right kick provided the insurance Real Madrid required, following a goal by Dortmund’s Maximilian Beier (90’+2′) and arriving before Serhou Guirassy scored a penalty (90’+8′) in the frenetic final minutes.
Major point of Discussion
Garcia has only played six games for Real Madrid before this competition and scored once. However, at this level in the United States, he has taken his chances in front of a new boss, leaving superstar Kylian Mbappe on the bench before kickoff.
Of course, Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso could have simply rotated his players, but Garcia has been in every match and is making a strong case to continue in the squad next season despite having scarcely registered on the football map prior to this tournament.
Jude Bellingham was inches away from adding another against his former team, slamming a low drive beyond the right post just before halftime.
Data Brief: Madrid’s Club World Cup supremacy continues.
Madrid has played 20 Club World Cup matches (including previous forms), and they have yet to lose. They’ve won 17 of those games (D3) and 15 of 16 since 2014, with the exception of this year’s group stage loss against Al-Hilal (1-1).
Gonzalo Garcia has played a significant role in keeping that streak continuing. He is the only player who has personally contributed to a goal in all five of his team’s matches this year (four goals, one assist).
What comes next?
Madrid has qualified for the Club World Cup semi-finals, where they will meet Paris St-Germain on Wednesday at MetLife Stadium. Dortmund returns to domestic football in mid-August with a game against Essen.
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