logo
Real Madrid survive Dortmund scare to reach Club World Cup semis

Real Madrid survive Dortmund scare to reach Club World Cup semis

The Sun9 hours ago
REAL Madrid edged past Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in a dramatic Club World Cup quarter-final on Saturday to set up a last-four clash with Paris St Germain.
The Spanish giants stamped their authority on the match early at the MetLife Stadium, dominating possession and opening a two-goal lead thanks to strikes by Gonzalo and Fran Garcia in the 10th and 20th minutes.
Gonzalo, the 21-year-old forward continuing his breakout tournament, opened the scoring with a close-range volley from Arda Guler's cross.
Ten minutes later, Garcia doubled Real's lead, arriving at the far post to turn in Trent Alexander-Arnold's low delivery after an incisive move down the right.
Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr. squandered chances to extend Real's lead before halftime, while Aurelien Tchouameni came closest in the second half, rattling the crossbar with a curling effort from the edge of the box.
Despite the reduced intensity of play in New Jersey's scorching heat, Real comfortably saw out the match, leaving Dortmund unable to mount a comeback until the game exploded into life in 10 minutes of mayhem in added time.
Substitute Maximilian Beier pounced on a rebound in the 93rd minute to pull one back for Dortmund, but a minute later Kylian Mbappe restored Real's two-goal cushion with a stunning volley.
Dortmund refused to back down, however, and Serhou Guirassy's pace saw him break through Real's defence only to be pulled down in the box by Dean Huijsen.
The defender was shown a straight red card, ruling him out of the semi-final, and Guirassy coolly converted the resulting spot-kick to reduce the deficit to 3-2.
Dortmund came within inches of forcing extra time when in the ninth minute of added time Thibaut Courtois produced a sensational save to deny Marcel Sabitzer's powerful strike.
'We were doing really well and the match looked under control but then in the last 10 minutes things got crazy,' Real manager Xabi Alonso told DAZN.
'We have lost a little bit our focus and intensity when we didn't have the ball and luckily nothing else happened. But overall we have had good 80 minutes and the last 10 minutes to improve.'
Real Madrid now turn their attention to PSG, who defeated Bayern Munich 2-0 to book their place in the semi-finals. The winners of that clash will face Fluminense or Chelsea, who meet on Tuesday, in the final.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

A star is born: Gonzalo Garcia makes most of Club World Cup
A star is born: Gonzalo Garcia makes most of Club World Cup

New Straits Times

time35 minutes ago

  • New Straits Times

A star is born: Gonzalo Garcia makes most of Club World Cup

EAST RUTHERFORD: Real Madrid's 21-year-old striker Gonzalo Garcia has gone from virtual unknown to a tournament sensation at the Club World Cup, netting his fourth goal in five games on Saturday to help send the La Liga side into the semi-final. At a tournament where organisers were banking on household names to build the excitement, the academy graduate has become the breakout star, seizing his chance to deputise for an ill Kylian Mbappe. "We've seen him play in the last few games and today he did it again," said manager Xabi Alonso. "He is making the most of this opportunity." Garcia's terrific run began in Real's opener against Al-Hilal last month, where he scored in a 1-1 draw, as Mbappe was sidelined with acute gastroenteritis. He recorded an assist in Real's second group-stage affair against Pachuca and added a bit of insurance in Real's 3-0 win over Salzburg to close out the group stage. He headed another in to clinch their round of 16 win over Juventus 1-0 on Tuesday, where Mbappe came in off the bench for Garcia. Mbappe was a second-half substitute again on Saturday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, but this time came on as veteran forward Vinicius Jr. came off, a sign of just how high Garcia's stock has climbed. "I think that he is in the right place, right time, and we're very happy with the work he's doing - and he's also scoring goals," Alonso told reporters. It was hardly what fans expected from the homegrown talent who had made few starts in La Liga before the US-hosted tournament, but has become the bedrock of the Real attack under manager Alonso.

'Rarely been so angry': Bayern boss Kompany seethes over Musiala injury
'Rarely been so angry': Bayern boss Kompany seethes over Musiala injury

New Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • New Straits Times

'Rarely been so angry': Bayern boss Kompany seethes over Musiala injury

ATLANTA: Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany said he was furious after Jamal Musiala sustained a horrific injury during the first half of their Club World Cup quarter-final defeat by Paris St Germain in Atlanta on Saturday. The 22-year-old Germany international was injured in added time before the break following a collision in PSG's penalty area. As Musiala challenged defender William Pacho for the ball, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma inadvertently rolled over Musiala's left ankle, twisting it at an alarming angle and leaving him lying in agony on the pitch. "I've rarely been so angry at halftime, not against my players. There's many things in life that are important, much more important than this. But in the end, for these guys it's their life," Kompany told reporters after the 2-0 loss. "And someone like Jamal lives for this and he came back from a setback. And then it happens in the way it happens and you feel powerless... "When I'm sat here next to you now, the thing that gets my blood still boiling at the moment, it's not the result. I understand this is football. But it's the fact that it happened to someone who, one, enjoys the game so much but also very important for us." Bayern's medical team rushed on to the pitch as Donnarumma, visibly shaken, dropped to the ground with his hands on his head in disbelief at the severity of the injury. Players from both teams formed a circle around Musiala who was carried off the field on a stretcher. The German daily Bild reported he could be sidelined for up to five months. Bayern goalkeeper and captain Manuel Neuer said Donnarumma's dive was "risky" and that he had spoken to his Italian counterpart after the incident. "You just accept that your opponent might get injured. It could even be a teammate," he added. "So I went over to him and said: 'Don't you want – because it was half-time anyway – don't you want to go over there? Jamal is lying there, he'll probably stay in the hospital, he has a serious injury, and I think it's only right to go over there out of respect and wish him well and just say a little sorry.' "After that, he went over to Jamal... Fairness is always important, and I would have reacted differently." After the match, Donnarumma posted on Instagram: "All my prayers and well wishes are with you Jamal."

Messi returns to MLS with spectacular double in Inter victory
Messi returns to MLS with spectacular double in Inter victory

New Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • New Straits Times

Messi returns to MLS with spectacular double in Inter victory

MONTREAL: Lionel Messi scored two brilliant goals to lift Inter Miami to a 4-1 victory over Montreal in Miami's return to Major League Soccer action on Saturday in the wake of their elimination from the Club World Cup. Miami were playing their first MLS game in more than a month. They had advanced past the first phase of the Club World Cup but fell 4-0 to Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 last week. Messi made sure there was no lingering let-down for Javier Mascherano's side, who are aiming to improve on their curent sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 32 points from 17 matches. "It is a great night, we took the three points that were very necessary to start thinking about the MLS again," Mascherano said. "It is never easy to reintegrate into the competition after the Club World Cup, and the players have done it perfectly." Messi was a key figure throughout, although it was his miscue that led to the first goal for Montreal. His backpass fell right in front of Montreal's Prince Owusu, who fired a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Oscar Ustari to make it 1-0 after two minutes. Messi more than atoned. In the 33rd minute, Messi found Tadeo Allende outside the area and Allende chipped a shot over Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirios. In the 40th minute Messi conjured his trademark magic, cutting in from the right corner of the box, eluding Fernando Alvarez and curling the ball in at the far post for a goal that gave Miami a 2-1 halftime lead. Telasco Segovia made it 3-1 in the 60th minute with a blast from outside the area that hit the crossbar and bounced into the net. Messi bagged his second goal two minutes later, evading four defenders and finishing an outstanding solo run with a shot into the heart of the goal. Messi now has seven goals in his last four MLS matches, bringing his total to 12 in 14 games. "Leo is happy playing football," Mascherano said. "Every time he is fit, he is going to play. Clearly we have an extra advantage when he plays and we want to use that advantage as much as possible." Miami now face a hectic MLS stretch, with five more matches before the end of the month. - AFP

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store