Football Buzzer
Real Madrid come into this Club World Cup quarter-final full of belief. They have not lost a single match in this competition since 2014.
Under Xabi Alonso, the Spanish giants look organised, hungry, and slick in attack. They have already brushed aside Juventus in the last 16, controlling the game with 11 shots on target.
Gonzalo Garcia, a product of the Madrid academy, scored the winning goal against the Italians. Now, Madrid are chasing their sixth Club World Cup title.
Their record against Borussia Dortmund also gives them confidence. They have won the last four meetings, including a 5-2 victory in Madrid last October.
Dortmund will hope this time is different. Niko Kovac has inspired a big turnaround since taking charge. The German side climbed from 11th to 4th in the Bundesliga.
They also topped Group F with strong performances against Fluminense, Ulsan HD, and Mamelodi Sundowns. In the last 16, Serhou Guirassy scored twice to knock out Monterrey.
But Dortmund have key players missing and must find a way to stop Madrid’s star-studded attack.
Even so, their nine wins in the last ten matches suggest they are not here just to make up the numbers.
Here is the Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund Club World Cup preview, lineups & prediction.
Team News
For Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappe returned last round after illness. Jude Bellingham faces his old club again, but his brother Jobe is suspended.
Injuries keep out Eduardo Camavinga, David Alaba, Ferland Mendy, and young striker Endrick.
Dortmund have to cope without Emre Can, Salih Ozcan, and Nico Schlotterbeck.
They will rely heavily on Guirassy up front. The Guinean striker has scored three goals in this tournament so far.
Borussia Dortmund Predicted Lineup
Kobel; Sule, Anton, Bensebaini; Ryerson, Nmecha, Gross, Svensson; Sabitzer, Adeyemi; Guirassy
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup
Courtois; Rudiger, Tchouameni, Huijsen; Alexander-Arnold, Bellingham, Valverde, Guler, Garcia; Mbappe, Vinicius
Prediction
Real Madrid hold the edge in experience and depth. Their attack has too many weapons for most defences to handle. But Dortmund’s form under Kovac gives them hope of an upset.
- Score Prediction: Real Madrid 2-1 Borussia Dortmund.
Madrid should advance to the semis, though Dortmund will not go down without a fight.
