Kylian Mbappé’s stunning bicycle kick headlined a dramatic second-half stoppage time as Real Madrid edged past Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in a pulsating Club World Cup quarterfinal clash on Saturday.
The match ended with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois stretching to his limit, using his fingertips to deny a last-gasp equalizer and seal Madrid’s spot in the semifinals.
The Spanish giants struck early under the blazing sun at MetLife Stadium, where temperatures hovered at 86°F (30°C) for the 3 p.m. kickoff.
Gonzalo García opened the scoring in the 10th minute, and Fran García doubled the lead just 10 minutes later, giving Real a 2-0 cushion before halftime.
Dortmund clawed back late as Maximilian Beier found the net three minutes into added time. But just one minute later, Mbappé, who came on in the 67th minute while still regaining full match fitness after a bout with gastroenteritis, responded with an acrobatic overhead goal that restored Madrid’s two-goal advantage.
Serhou Guirassy then converted a penalty in the eighth minute of stoppage time after being brought down by Dean Huijsen, who received a red card for the challenge and will be suspended for the next match.
Madrid’s hopes of avoiding extra time rested on Courtois, who extended all of his 6-foot-7 frame to tip away Marcel Sabitzer’s shot in the dying seconds.
The result sets up a blockbuster semifinal on Wednesday, as Real Madrid faces off with Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain. Chelsea will take on Brazil’s Fluminense in the other semifinal scheduled for Tuesday.
Gonzalo García’s early goal added to his growing reputation. The 21-year-old, with just five La Liga appearances in the last two seasons, earned a surprise start from new Madrid boss Xabi Alonso over Mbappé.
He now sits atop the tournament’s scoring chart with four goals, tied with Benfica’s Ángel Di María and Al Hilal’s Marcos Leonardo.
Mbappé replaced Jude Bellingham, who missed the opportunity to face his brother, Jobe Bellingham, suspended due to yellow-card accumulation.
Saturday’s encounter added to Madrid’s dominant run over Dortmund. After defeating the German side 2-0 in the 2024 Champions League final and staging a dramatic 5-2 comeback in this season’s group stage,
Los Blancos have now won five consecutive meetings and remain unbeaten in their last seven against Dortmund.
Meanwhile, American midfielder Gio Reyna didn’t feature for Dortmund and ended the tournament with just 13 minutes of action across five games.
A crowd of 76,611 filled the MetLife Stadium, set to host the 2026 World Cup final. Most sections were packed except for one suite level that remained empty.
Before kickoff, a moment of silence honored Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, who tragically died in a car crash on Thursday.
