Real Madrid advanced to the semi-final of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup after surviving a late scare to defeat Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in a pulsating quarter-final clash on Saturday night.
The Spanish giants looked to be cruising after first-half goals from Gonzalo Garcia and Fran Garcia gave them a 2-0 lead within the opening 20 minutes.
Garcia opened the scoring in the 10th minute with a composed finish following a clever assist from Arda Güler, before Fran Garcia doubled the advantage with a well-timed effort from a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross.
Dortmund staged a late rally during a dramatic period of added time, with substitute Maximilian Beier pulling one back in the 92nd minute.
However, Kylian Mbappe responded immediately, restoring Madrid’s two-goal cushion with an acrobatic volley off another assist from Güler.
Drama unfolded moments later when Dean Huijsen was sent off for bringing down Serhou Guirassy inside the box.
The Guinean striker stepped up to convert the resulting penalty in the 98th minute, making it 3-2 and setting up a tense finish.
Real Madrid, reduced to ten men, held firm in the final moments as goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a crucial save to preserve the lead and seal victory for the 15-time UEFA Champions League winners.
The win sets up a blockbuster semi-final showdown with reigning Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, who earlier defeated Bayern Munich 2-0 despite finishing the match with nine men. Goals from Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé secured PSG’s spot in the next round.
Real Madrid and PSG will meet at the MetLife Stadium on Wednesday, July 9.