Real Madrid play Borussia Dortmund at the MetLife Stadium on Saturday.
Xabi Alonso will lead Real Madrid into the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal against Borussia Dortmund while possibly only three games away from winning his first trophy as Real Madrid coach. However, he does so with some tricky selection decisions to make with his lineup to take on Niko Kovač’s team.
Borussia Dortmund beat Sergio Ramos’ Monterrey in the last 16 to reach this stage and remain unbeaten in the tournament to date. Their squad includes Jobe Bellingham, brother of Jude, but he will not feature as he serves a suspension after picking up his second yellow card of the competition in that 2-1 win over Monterrey.
In a re-match of the 2024 UEFA Champions League final, Real Madrid will be looking to secure a fourth consecutive win against the German side. Los Blancos have not lost to Dortmund in any of their last six meetings, the last defeat coming against Jurgen Klopp in April 2014, when Dortmund won 2-0 in Germany but were still eliminated after losing 3-0 in the first leg.
The game will take place at 4 p.m. ET at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Saturday, July 5th, with good weather conditions expected with clear skies and 86°F on the forecast. That will be a pleasant change for Real Madrid, who saw storms hit Miami ahead of their last 16 encounter with Juventus where they emerged the 1-0 victors courtesy of a Gonzalo García header.
Real Madrid team news vs. Borussia Dortmund
One factor that Xabi Alonso will be keeping in mind will be the players in his squad who are only one yellow card away from suspension. That includes two key players in the shape of Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham. Both have been booked in the first four games in the competition and would miss a potential semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich if they are shown another yellow card here.
In terms of injuries, Kylian Mbappé came off the bench against Juventus and now has several more training sessions under his belt as he returns to action after being out with gastroentiritis for the entirety of the group stage of the tournament. The Frenchman played 22 minutes against the Italians, but did not look at full fitness and could now be eased back into action.
Also available will be Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão, who both returned to the matchday squad against Juventus after long-term injuries. Neither featured in Miami, nor are they likely to come off the bench for this game either.
Out will be Endrick Felipe and Ferland Mendy, who won’t feature in this tournament, and David Alaba, not expected back until September. Eduardo Camavinga has returned to light training but will also not be involved here as his return is managed.
Real Madrid expected lineup vs. Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid’s expected lineup vs. Borussia Dortmund: Thibaut Courtois; Antonio Rüdiger, Aurélien Tchouameni, Dean Huijsen; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fede Valverde, Arda Güler, Jude Bellingham, Fran García; Vinícius Júnior, Gonzalo García.
The biggest doubt in the team selection comes with the second striker role. Gonzalo García is one of the competition’s top scorers with three goals and an assist in four games, and it appears that Xabi Alonso could stick with him given that run of form, and bring Kylian Mbappé off the bench to regain match sharpness.
It also seems that the coach will stick with his back three system, though against Juventus it was made clear just how flexible it can be to revert to a 4-4-2 with Aurélien Tchouameni’s versatility making it possible to drop deeper in defence or step up into midfield.
On the bench, there are several experienced options, such as the likes of Lucas Vázquez and Luka Modrić. Squad options like Brahim Díaz and Rodrygo Goes could also come in off the sidelines if needed to boost the team in search of a win.
