Real Madrid held off a late Borussia Dortmund comeback to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory in a pulsating encounter in the Club World Cup.
Goals from Gonzalo Garcia, Fran Garcia, and Kylian Mbappe were enough for the hosts, despite a late resurgence by the visitors, with strikes from Maximilian Beier and Serhou Guirassy.
The game was Madrid’s from the start with both sides showing attacking intent. Dortmund threatened early through Julian Brandt and Serhou Guirassy, but it was Real Madrid who struck first.
In the 10th minute, young forward Gonzalo García opened the scoring with a composed finish into the bottom corner after a well-weighted cross from Arda Guler.
Just ten minutes later, Fran Garcia doubled Madrid’s lead, pouncing on a loose ball in the box to fire home with his left foot.
The 2-0 cushion gave Xabi Alonso’s side more confidence, and they dominated possession for large spells of the first half. Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham both came close to extending the lead before the interval, while Dortmund were largely restricted to long-range efforts.
🏁 @realmadriden 3-2 @BlackYellow ⚽ 10′ @gonzalo7garcia_⚽ 20′ @Frangarcia_11⚽ 90’+2′ Beier⚽ 90’+4′ @KMbappe⚽ 90’+8′ Guirassy (p) pic.twitter.com/hbOpkBH8tG
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) July 5, 2025
At the break, Dortmund made several tactical changes, introducing Maximilian Beier, Felix Nmecha, and Yan Couto in hopes of sparking a comeback.
Beier in particular made an instant impact, forcing a save from Thibaut Courtois early in the second half. However, Madrid remained dangerous on the counter, and both Luka Modric and Kylian Mbappe – introduced in the 67th minute – tested Gregor Kobel with stinging efforts.
The drama truly began in stoppage time. In the 90th minute, Dortmund’s persistence finally paid off as Beier fired past Courtois, giving the visitors a lifeline.
But their hopes were dashed almost immediately. Just one minute later, Arda Guler delivered a brilliant cross that Mbappe latched onto,hitting a fabulous bicycle kick into the bottom corner.
Still, the match had one more twist. In the 96th minute, substitute Dean Huijsen was shown a straight red card for a foul on Guirassy inside the box, conceding a penalty in the process.
The Dortmund striker stepped up and dispatched the spot-kick into the top left corner, making it 3-2 and setting up a frenetic final few minutes.
With Madrid down to ten men, Dortmund pushed forward in search of an equaliser. Marcel Sabitzer had a golden opportunity deep into added time, but Courtois once again proved to be the difference, diving low to his left to keep out the midfielder’s effort and preserve the win.
