Borussia Dortmund’s FIFA Club World Cup journey ended in heartbreak at MetLife Stadium, where a 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid in the quarterfinal extinguished their semi-final ambitions. Dortmund, seeking redemption after their 2024 Champions League final loss, was outmatched for large portions of the game as the clock finally struck midnight.
BVB entered this match with fair optimism in light of a good run of form that extends back for a couple of months. Jobe Bellingham was unable to feature in the match due to his yellow card suspension that was sadly earned against C.F Monterrey.
Elsewhere, Felix Nmecha was also unable to start this game due to alleged fatigue during pre-match proceedings. Julian Brandt, restored to the starting lineup after the aforementioned absences, was awarded the captain’s armband.
From the start of the match, Dortmund’s body language was lethargic and afforded Real Madrid generous amounts of time on the ball. Niko Kovač’s side predictably settled into a low-block, yet lacked the aggression to stifle passing lanes and counter Real Madrid’s overloads.
This passivity is precisely what lead to the opening goal from Real Madrid’s Gonzalo García. Dortmund failed to stop Arda Güler from delivering a cross to the middle of the box and a wide open García. It proved fatal and the Spaniard converted inside 10 minutes of play.
The momentum persisted as BVB failed to find any rhythm that could allow for a substantial threat from open-play. Indeed, aside from a couple of brief moments that saw Karim Adeyemi or Serhou Guirassy lead the charge in transition, Kovač’s men looked as if they had no solution to build through Real’s pressure.
Matters became substantially worse in the 20th minute when Fran Garcia made it 2-0. BVB was once again dispossessed in its own defensive third and paid the price as the Spanish full-back snuck past Julian Ryerson to get on the end of a low cross to the center of the box.
Dortmund made a few substitutions at halftime. Including Yan Couto, Felix Nmecha, and Maximillian Beier. In an effort to inspire and find some semblance of a spark, Kovač opted to understandably risk conceding in search for a lifeline on the other end.
The final substitution for Dortmund came in the form of Julien Duranville replacing Brandt in the 63rd minute. However, the substitutes failed to alter the flow of play in any meaningful capacity. Instead, Real Madrid ended up bringing on Kylian Mbappe and Luka Modric.
The Frenchman, to no surprise, made an immediate impact and became a handful for Ramy Bensebaini on the left flank. Despite clearly needing more minutes to operate at full strength and regain form, a fatigued Mbappe was still plenty to be worried about.
The match opened up with increased regularity in the closing exchanges. In stoppage time, defying the pulse of play, Maximilian Beier pounced on a poorly cleared cross, pulling Dortmund within one goal as time dwindled.
Beier’s goal ignited pure chaos in the dying moments. Mere seconds after his strike, Kylian Mbappé answered with an acrobatic finish, restoring Real Madrid’s two-goal cushion. From Madrid’s perspective, the victory seemed firmly assured.
Yet it wasn’t. As swiftly as Mbappé and his teammates jogged back to the halfway line, poised to coast until the final whistle, Dortmund surged forward, earning a penalty when Dean Huijsen was sent off for hauling back Serhou Guirassy as he charged through on goal.
Dortmund’s ever-clinical striker converted and inspired further drama in the closing seconds. The final chance would come as Marcel Sabitzer drove a low shot to the near post in the ninth minute of added time and was met by a truly excellent save from Thibaut Courtois.
Whether Sabitzers effort was tainted by a Guirassy handball mattered little, as the referee’s whistle, following Courtois’ save, sealed Dortmund’s fate. In truth, the scoreline flatters Dortmund. The German side was consistently inferior for the majority of the game and its goals were only made possible in light of Real’s self-inflicted wounds.
BVB now heads home with the ability to be proud of the progression it made on paper in this FIFA Club World Cup, but questions about Kovač’s philosophy linger that remain unanswered.
Lars Ricken and Sebastian Kehl have work to do in order to determine where additional funds are best utilized before Bundesliga play resumes this August.