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It all comes down to eight remaining teams to compete in this year’s FIFA Club World Cup Quarterfinals. Saturday kicks off the final match of the quarterfinals between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
Get ready for the match at 4 PM ET, but only after reviewing my picks for the clash to decide whether they’re something you want to back or ignore!
While Real Madrid performed well over the 2024/25 season, they did not perform up to their own standards, finishing 2nd in La Liga with 84 points, a +40 goal differential, and a 26-6-6 record, with their only pieces of silverware being the UEFA Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup. Real Madrid may have stumbled in several tournaments this season, but they’ve performed immaculately so far in the FIFA Club World Cup under the new management of Xabi Alonso without superstar Kylian Mbappe.
Starting the tournament, they drew Al-Hilal 1-1 before recording a 3-1 win over Pachuca on matchday 2. The final day saw the Royal White win 3-0 against RB Salzburg, as they progressed to the Round of 16 as the top seed out of Group H. Most recently, they defeated Juventus 1-0 in a competitive matchup, as Gonzalo Garcia netted the only goal in the 54th minute.
Both Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe led their team in goals through the UEFA Champions League campaign, with 8 and 7 goals apiece, respectively. Only Vinicius Junior has scored out of the 2 attackers so far in the Club World Cup campaign due to Mbappe battling an ongoing gastroenteritis. Frederico Valverde and Jude Bellingham accumulated 3 assists in the Champions League, but only Valverde has contributed to the FIFA CWC cause with 2 goals, while Bellingham has 1 goal and 1 assist. Gonzalo Garcia is having a spectacular tournament in place of Mbappe, leading the team with 3 goals and 1 assist.
Star striker Kylian Mbappe led the La Liga season in goal scoring to take home the Spanish Pichichi award with 31 goals. While he has yet to touch the pitch in this tourney, reports say he’s likely to be back to face off against Dortmund, leading me to believe he’ll net his first crucial goal to help the Royal White take the victory.
Borussia Dortmund hardly reached their traditional standards in the German Bundesliga this season, finishing 4th place with 57 points and a 17-6-11 record to qualify for next year’s Champions League. They did not win any silverware this season and were eliminated from the Champions League quarterfinals 5-3 on aggregate by Barcelona.
So far in this FIFA Club World Cup, they’ve had a valiant campaign, starting with a tough 0-0 draw against Fluminense. Matchday 2 was crucial for the Germans, recording a 4-3 win over Mamelodi Sundowns to secure their first win at the FIFA CWC. Matchday 3 ended in a crucial 1-0 victory over Ulsan, as Dortmund progressed out of Group F in the top spot. Their Round of 16 match against Monterrey was difficult, ending 2-1 in their favor, but now against Real Madrid is the truest test of their ability in the tournament.
Serhou Guirassy is the player to watch in this game. The Dortmund forward finished his Bundesliga run this season with 21 goals in 30 games and the 2024/25 Champions League season with 13 goals in 14 games. He currently leads his team in the Club World Cup with 3 goals, so it’s hard to see him not scoring in this vital matchup, and I predict he’ll score even if the Germans are bested by Real Madrid. Teammate Daniel Svensson can also be credited with his first and only goal of the campaign, while Karim Adeyemi has racked up 2 assists so far, so if any helping hands can be thrown to Guirassy’s efforts, Dortmund may pull off the extraordinary in this do-or-die quarterfinals.
The common motto is to never root against Real Madrid in the tournaments, as they’re seasoned with lots of international experience and always win. With the likely return of Kylian Mbappe, it’s almost a given that he’ll score his first goal of the tournament for the Royal Whites.
That’s excluding all the extra firepower, including Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Gonzalo Garcia and Federico Valverde. I do think Guirassy will score to continue his season-defining run in all competitions, but it likely won’t be enough to withstand the full might of Real Madrid by the end of 90 (or extra time).
Liam has been a major sports fan and soccer player for over a decade, with a particular focus on major top-level soccer leagues, including the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and MLS. He has written numerous promotional articles for various top sportsbooks and continues to publish historical and factual sports articles covering the NFL, MLS, NHL, MLB, EPL and more.