Sat Jul 05 23:00:04 UTC 2025: ## Real Madrid Edges Dortmund in Thrilling Club World Cup Quarterfinal
**EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ** – Real Madrid advanced to the Club World Cup Semifinals in dramatic fashion, defeating Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in a match filled with late goals and stunning saves at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. A crowd of 76,611, anticipating next year’s World Cup Final, witnessed a rollercoaster of emotions, culminating in a nail-biting finish.
Gonzalo Garcia, unexpectedly starting due to Kylian Mbappe’s return from illness, opened the scoring in the 10th minute, followed by a goal from Fran Garcia ten minutes later, giving Madrid a comfortable 2-0 lead.
Dortmund fought back late, with Maximilian Beier scoring in the first minute of stoppage time. However, substitute Kylian Mbappe responded immediately with a spectacular bicycle kick to restore Madrid’s two-goal advantage. The drama continued as Serhou Guirassy converted a penalty in the eighth minute of added time after a foul by Dean Huijsen, who was subsequently sent off.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois proved to be the hero, making a crucial fingertip save on a Marcel Sabitzer shot in the game’s final moments to preserve the victory.
The win sets up a highly anticipated semifinal clash against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday. The match also saw Jude Bellingham miss the chance to play against his brother, Jobe, who was suspended. American midfielder Gio Reyna remained on the bench for Dortmund.
The game was played under sunny skies in 86-degree Fahrenheit heat. A moment of silence was observed before kickoff in honor of Liverpool’s Diogo Jota and his brother, Penafiel’s Andre Silva, who tragically passed away in a car accident.
First Piper 