CWC: Royal Club broke through the Yellow Wall for another derby

Real Madrid is not a club that lives off its glorious history—Real Madrid is a club that creates history. That’s the key difference that sets it apart from others, and with that mindset, the Royal Club arrived in the United States this summer, even though it wasn’t coming off its brightest season.

It also seems that the club from Spain’s capital made better use of this tournament than others, arriving with a new coach, Xabi Alonso, who has been given the freedom to build a new team, a new style, and a new atmosphere—so much so that Real didn’t need a better preseason.

The former Leverkusen boss has refreshed the squad, introduced new tactical principles, brought accountability and a desire to dominate on the pitch.

That was enough to secure a place in the semifinals after tonight’s win over Borussia Dortmund (3–2). In four days, we’ll find out if Alonso’s team is at the level needed to challenge Paris Saint-Germain.

It’s clear that Real Madrid isn’t the best team in Europe at the moment, but there is likely no team on the continent more determined to win the new Club World Cup format. Simply reaching the quarterfinals made it evident that Borussia Dortmund had hit its ceiling in the U.S., and that it would have been too much to expect Niko Kovac’s side to be among the top four teams in the world right now. Still, the Black and Yellows gave it their all, scoring twice and earning applause after the match in New Jersey. But they couldn’t do more.

Real didn’t create as many chances as it did against Salzburg and Juventus, but until stoppage time, it was the only team dictating play. The Royal Club settled the outcome within the first 20 minutes, and spent the rest of the game managing the lead, building confidence, and absorbing the tactical principles Alonso is instilling.

They conserved energy for the semifinal against PSG—not by cruising, but through ball control and constant probing of Dortmund’s helpless defense. Everything was under control until stoppage time, when Alonso started experimenting with new solutions and Dortmund took advantage. It nearly turned into a dramatic finish, with Marcel Sabitzer almost pushing the match into extra time, but Thibaut Courtois shut the door.

Alonso’s team may not lift the trophy on July 13 at MetLife Stadium, but the brilliant tactician will still bring a different kind of trophy back to Madrid—and his name is Gonzalo Garcia. The young forward from Madrid shined for the B team last season and has seized the opportunity Alonso gave him in the past month.

He’s scored against Al Hilal, Salzburg, and Juventus, assisted against Pachuca, and tonight was again in the right place to bury Arda Guler’s perfect cross in the 10th minute, beating the helpless Gregor Kobel. Garcia now has four goals in the tournament and is the leading candidate for the Golden Boot.

Arda Guler himself is another player transformed by Alonso’s arrival. The former Real midfielder sensed that the young Turk could thrive in a slightly deeper role, becoming one of the team’s primary playmakers. In every match so far, he’s demonstrated his creativity and value when given the freedom to orchestrate the team’s play.

Still, Alonso won’t be entirely satisfied—not just because of the late drama, but mainly due to the reckless decision by Dean Huijsen. With Real leading 3–1, just after Mbappe’s goal, Huijsen—being the last man in the box—brought down Guirassy, conceding a penalty and receiving a straight red card. As a result, Real Madrid's defense will be significantly weakened against Paris Saint-Germain.

FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP 2025

1/4 finals

Friday

Fluminense - Al Hilal 2-1 (1-0)

/Martinelli 40, Hercules 70 - Leonardo 51/

Saturday

Palmerias - Chelsea 1-2 (0-1)

/Estevao 53 - Palmer 16, Giay 83 og/

PSG - Bayern 2-0 (0-0)

/Doue 78, Dembele 90+7/

Real Madrid - Dortmund 3-2 (2-0)

/G. Garcia 10, F. Garcia 20, Mbappe 90+4 - Beier 90+2, Guirassy 90+8 pen/