In a rollercoaster quarterfinal at the FIFA Club World Cup, Real Madrid edged Borussia Dortmund 3-2 on Saturday, thanks to a stunning stoppage-time bicycle kick by Kylian Mbappe and a match-saving fingertip stop from keeper Thibaut Courtois.
On a sun-drenched afternoon with temperatures hitting 30°C, Madrid wasted no time setting the tone. Gonzalo GarcĂa, the 21-year-old making just his sixth appearance in La Liga this season, found the net in the 10th minute. Ten minutes later, Fran GarcĂa doubled the lead—moving Gonzalo to four goals and tying him with Benfica's Angel Di MarĂa and Al Hilal's Marcos Leonardo atop the tournament scoring charts.
Despite the early deficit, Borussia Dortmund ignited late drama. Maximilian Beier pulled one back three minutes into stoppage time, only for Mbappe—who came on in the 67th minute—to restore a two-goal cushion with a breathtaking bicycle kick moments later.
The tension reached its peak when Serhou Guirassy slotted a penalty in the eighth minute of added time, following Dean Huijsen's red-card foul. With fans on the edge of their seats, Courtois, standing at 6-foot-7, stretched every inch to palm away Marcel Sabitzer's shot just before the final whistle.
Madrid now gear up for a semifinal clash with UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, while Chelsea take on Fluminense a day earlier. As coach Xabi Alonso's side continue their unbeaten run against Dortmund—seven games since a 2014 Champions League exit—they'll look to carry this late-game resilience forward.
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Real Madrid edge Dortmund 3-2 in quarterfinals at Club World Cup
cgtn.com
