Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain both booked their places in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-finals with contrasting victories on 5 July, setting up a blockbuster showdown between the European heavyweights.
At the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Real Madrid survived a late scare to overcome Borussia Dortmund 3–2 in a pulsating quarter-final. Meanwhile, in Atlanta, a depleted PSG side stunned Bayern Munich 2–0, with Ousmane Dembélé delivering a match-winning performance despite his team finishing the match with nine players.
Madrid survive late chaos in thriller against Dortmund
Real Madrid looked in complete control for most of the contest in East Rutherford, surging to a 2–0 lead inside the opening 20 minutes. Gonzalo gave them the lead with a clinical volley from Arda Güler’s cross before Fran García doubled the advantage with a tidy finish at the far post following an incisive move down the right.
Los Blancos could have extended the lead before the break, with Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Jr. both squandering chances, and Aurelien Tchouaméni struck the crossbar early in the second half. But with temperatures rising and intensity dipping, the match seemed to be drifting towards a comfortable Madrid win—until the final 10 minutes.
Maximilian Beier pulled one back for Dortmund in the 93rd minute after pouncing on a rebound, but Kylian Mbappé restored the two-goal cushion within 60 seconds with a brilliant volley. There was more drama to come as Serhou Guirassy broke through and was brought down in the box by Dean Huijsen, who was shown a straight red card. Guirassy converted the penalty, and Dortmund nearly forced extra time, only for Thibaut Courtois to produce a stunning save to deny Marcel Sabitzer.
“We were in control for 80 minutes, then everything got crazy,” said Real boss Xabi Alonso. “We lost our focus but luckily saw it out.”
Dembélé inspires nine-man PSG to famous win over Bayern
Earlier in the day at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, PSG produced a gritty display to eliminate Bayern Munich. Despite finishing with nine men, Luis Enrique’s side held firm and clinched a 2–0 win, with Ousmane Dembélé delivering a heroic all-round performance.
Desire Doué opened the scoring with his first goal of the tournament before PSG were reduced to 10 men when Willian Pacho received a straight red card. Lucas Hernandez was also sent off, leaving PSG down to nine. Yet Dembélé, who came on after half-time, pressed relentlessly and sealed the victory deep into stoppage time after linking up superbly with Achraf Hakimi.
“Dembélé leads by example. He does everything—attack, defend, initiate counter-attacks. He deserves the Ballon d’Or just for his work ethic,” Enrique said.
PSG captain Marquinhos added: “We had a score to settle with Bayern. This one meant a lot.”
Real Madrid and PSG will now meet in the semi-final, with the winner advancing to face either Chelsea or Fluminense in the final.