Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund: FIFA Club World Cup – team news, start
Record FIFA Club World Cup winners Real Madrid face the side they beat to claim the 2024 European crown, Borussia Dortmund, for a place in the semifinals.
Real lifted the Champions League trophy two seasons ago with a 2-0 win at Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom, now Dortmund have the chance to exact revenge by ending Real’s hunt for a sixth FIFA title.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the tie.
Real opened their tournament with a 1-1 draw against Al Hilal but went on to beat Pachuca 3-1 and Real Salzburg 3-0, in doing so claiming top spot in Group H.
That set up a blockbuster round-of-16 tie with fellow European giants Juventus. Gonzalo Garcia’s 54th-minute header was enough to seal a 1-0 win for the Spaniards against the Italians.
Dortmund also opened with a draw – a 0-0 stalemate against Fluminense – but secured wins against South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns and South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai.
Their top spot in Group F lead to a round-of-16 meeting with Mexico’s Monterrey. Serhou Guirassy netted in the 14th and 24th minutes, with German Berterame tightening matters in a 2-1 win for the German club.
The sides have already had one rerun of the 2024 Champions League final when they met in the League Phase of last season’s competition.
