Real Madrid are now in the semifinals of the Club World Cup. In a match that had several phases, Xabi Alonso’s men made the most of a sensational first 30 minutes, taking a 2-0 lead that lasted almost the entire game. In a dull second half, everything went crazy in stoppage time. Dortmund pulled one back, Mbappé restored the two-goal lead, and Guirassy made it 3-2 from the penalty spot. Sabitzer, in the last play of the game, gave Madrid fans a mini heart attack, but Courtois came to the rescue once again. Real Madrid will face PSG with a significant loss, as Huijsen was sent off for the final penalty.
Real Madrid had been hidden away in Plato’s cave for so long that, upon emerging and seeing the light offered by Xabi Alonso, they discovered another reality where everything finally makes sense. At least common sense. Because hardly anyone would have thought a few months ago that, with Mbappé now fit and even playing in his last game, a youth player like Gonzalo would be in the starting lineup. Can you imagine that with Ancelotti at the helm? Well, that’s what Xabi Alonso did. And once again, common sense, meritocracy, effort, and all those values that are currently languishing tend to lead to good results. That’s how it was.
The match began with a change of formation by Xabi Alonso. The three-man defense disappeared and a 4-4-2 appeared: Tchouaméni and, take note, Guler, as double pivots; Valverde on the right and Bellingham, this time, on the left. Dortmund gave the first warning in the 5th minute with a header from Brandt that went just inches wide of Courtois’ right post. It was one of the few chances for the Germans in the first half. Real Madrid found depth, moving the ball around, playing well between the lines with Bellingham and Valverde and, surprisingly, with Fran García possessed by the spirit of Roberto Carlos.
The momentum shifted completely to their side and Real Madrid had their first chance in the sixth minute. Huijsen found Fran García with a deep pass who broke behind the Dortmund defense, crossed it in, and Gonzalo miraculously failed to finish. But they weren’t going to forgive any more. Because in the 10th minute, Guler, who received the ball on the left corner of the Dortmund area, waited and waited unchallenged, and that’s like giving Oppenheimer a few more minutes with Einstein. He put it on Gonzalo’s foot, who, of course, sent it back into the net. Xabi Alonso was winning again.
As we warned, Fran García, who had already been racking up some good minutes in the Club World Cup, confirmed his conversion from meme to legend. Used by Xabi Alonso as Frimpong in his Leverkusen days, he attacked Dortmund’s left flank with a dangerousness that has been rare in recent years at Real Madrid. That’s what happens when you know how to use the type of player you have in your squad. And the reward was even greater for him. After a cross from Trent on the right, he appeared like a plane on the second line to fire past Kobel. It was the second goal and only 20 minutes had been played. It was a show from Xabi Alonso’s Madrid.
But far from slowing down, Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid is something else. It is a machine that is slowly being fine-tuned towards another set of automatisms, more in line with what modern football demands: high pressure, suffocating, lots of movement from everyone, high ball circulation, high full-backs… Real Madrid looked like an American B-2 Spirit, mercilessly bombarding the Dortmund defense, which had no idea how to stop the machine.
Bellingham had another chance in the 27th minute, completely unmarked in front of the box, but his left-footed shot was deflected by Kobel’s left post. Later, after the cooling break and a few minutes of greater relaxation from Real Madrid, Vinicius, positioned further forward, had another clear chance in the 40th minute. He received the ball far from the area but with Kobel well off his line, he tried a chip that didn’t quite come off. Madrid slowed down a little after a near-perfect first half hour, and the match reached halftime with the score at 2-0.
Real Madrid messes up at the end
The second half was a far cry from the first. Madrid wanted to dominate possession, but they lacked the physical freshness they had at the start. Dortmund made changes, with Yan Couto, Beier, and Nmecha coming on for Süle, Gross, and Adeyemi. Mbappé, Brahim, Asencio, and Modric warmed up for Real Madrid. Trent Alexander-Arnold was the negative note, looking stiff. Slow in his movements, he struggled to regain his position and was overly clumsy with the ball, despite his assist. Two mistakes almost cost Xabi Alonso dearly, but Huijsen appeared to save the day.
Vinicius was also missing something, like a Formula 1 car without DRS. He received the ball on the left but lacked that extra speed that has always given him so many advantages. And the context of the second half needed him to have that edge. Because Real Madrid sat back, comfortable with the result, waiting to catch a counterattack to seal the game. Dortmund appeared but without much danger. A shot from Beier in the 60th minute was the only noteworthy moment, but Courtois saved it without any problems. And so the first 15 minutes of the second half passed.
A few minutes later, out of nowhere, in the 66th minute, Xabi Alonso made a triple substitution. As if he were Tarantino in one of his films, he did not hesitate to remove his main characters from the scene. The plot called for the substitution of Vinicius, Bellingham, and Trent, and so it was. Modric, Mbappé, and Ceballos came on in their place. And the game changed again, without the drama of the first half. Real Madrid finally regained possession and Dortmund did not appear again in front of Courtois’ goal.
Valverde moved to right back, confirming his status as Xabi Alonso’s Christopher Waltz. An absolutely indispensable wild card, capable of shining in every scene and every role he plays. Like Waltz, who transforms supporting characters into absolute protagonists, Valverde adapts to any position with such naturalness that he makes the difficult look easy. His multifaceted talent makes him the perfect interpreter of Xabi’s football, a player whose value is incalculable.
And Xabi knows it. Life is easier with Fede in the squad. Mbappé once again failed to deliver any good news on the pitch, although, for the moment, he has the excuse of the circumstances. Because we have yet to see him in the explosive moments of Xabi’s Real Madrid, where Gonzalo has always been. He contributed practically nothing to the team.
There were two more changes, one as a precaution, in the 84th minute, Tchouaméni—who seemed a bit shaken—was replaced by Asencio; and the surprising one, Rodrygo for Gonzalo, in the 86th minute. The Brazilian was going to get a few minutes, almost garbage time, since he had played 23 minutes against Salzburg. Irrelevant a priori, when his sale to the Premier League is looming.
The game died in an endless rondo by Real Madrid, supported by Guler, Ceballos, and Modric. But Valverde reappeared with the energy and heaviness of a small child. He planted himself in the Dortmund area in stoppage time and only Kobel prevented him from scoring. His stamina was worthy of study. Everything seemed decided, and in the 92nd minute, Beier, after a poor clearance by Rudiger, narrowed the gap and set off all the alarms. There was little time left, but it was only one goal. And as if triggered by some maniacal reflex, Real Madrid responded instantly.
Mbappé appeared out of nowhere after another assist from Arda Guler. He finished with an acrobatic half-scissors kick to restore the two-goal lead. It was good news for him and a breather for the team. Or so it seemed. Because the MetLife was in complete madness. In the next move, Guirassy found himself alone in front of the goalkeeper and Huijsen made a grotesque mistake. Not because of the penalty itself, but because of the red card that would leave Real Madrid without a player in the semifinals. Guirassy made no mistake and brought his team back to within one goal: 3-2. And there was still time for a final heart-stopper. Dortmund, desperate, hung the ball up, Sabitzer—seemingly with his hand—controlled it and placed it perfectly against the post. But he didn’t count on the presence of the eternal Courtois. He blocked it with one hand and, luckily, it stayed in his domain. What a finish.
As things stand, Real Madrid won again thanks to a brilliant first half hour. Perhaps they lacked a little bite in the second half, maybe physically or simply because the shadow of the recent Real Madrid still hangs over the squad. But they are in the semi-finals and will face a tough test against PSG, the European champions. The good news is that, in a Real Madrid where Ancelotti always directed the same predictable movie, Xabi has broken the script. He is taking risks without hesitation, proving that football, like good cinema, is best enjoyed when no one knows what will happen next. So far, it is going extremely well, although his first work is not yet finished.