Quarter-final against Real Madrid – “We would like to go very, very far...” | OneFootball

It was hard work. Like it has been in every match at the Club World Cup. Against another strong-willed and robust opponent who was focused on this highlight, who could also go far as a participant in the UEFA Champions League on the basis on this performance and who had home advantage too. There were a great many Mexicans among the 31,442 spectators at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

On the other hand, BVB encountered “European conditions” for the first time at this tournament. “The stadium, the pitch, the time and everything that went along with it was more the kind of thing that we're used to. It was not as boiling hot as in the first three matches,” said Niklas Süle at the end of an intense 95 minutes in which Borussia could have been 4-0 up by the break but then came under pressure in the second period and held on for a 2-1 win. The shot count stood at 6-14 at the end, though the xG was 1.61 vs. 0.87 – meaning the quality of the six Dortmund shots was twice as high as the 14 attempts by Monterrey and the narrow win was ultimately deserved, especially as the opposition from Mexico did not overwhelmingly dominate in terms of possession (58%) and challenges won (52%) either.

A still-fresh BVB put in a strong performance in the first half, quickly and deservedly taking a 2-0 lead thanks to two goals from Serhou Guirassy in the 14th and 24th minutes of the match. For the opening goal, Ramy Bensebaini threaded a through-ball into the path of Karim Adeyemi, who set up Guirassy on the edge of the box. For the second goal, Julian Ryerson showed determination to win the ball back from Arteaga deep in his own half and set Adeyemi in motion down the right flank. Dortmund's speedy dribbler outpaced Sergio Ramos and beat defender Rodriguez in the box. A flick, a pass back to Guirassy and a measured finish to wrong-foot the goalkeeper – 2-0.

In the space of three minutes, Guirassy subsequently spurned a good chance following a pass from Bellingham (31) and a gilt-edged opportunity after a ball from Groß (34). For the latter, Andrada, in goal for the five-time winners of the CONCACAF Champions League, made an outstanding save with his foot. “Sometimes you score, sometimes you don't. I'm happy about the victory. And that's the most important thing,” said Guirassy, reflecting on the game and his two missed opportunities, before praising his team-mate Adeyemi. “I like playing alongside him. He gave me two assists.”

After the early goal conceded to Berterame at the start of the second half (Kovac: “Daniel (editor's note: Svensson) did everything right, he wanted to head it out wide but unfortunately someone was behind him and then it lands on the opponent's head – all good”), Monterrey gained the upper hand. Berterame scored for 2-2 in the 66th minute and, although the goal was ruled out for offside, the opposition had the game under control until around the 80th minute. After that, there was only one more dangerous situation. Sergio Ramos' header in stoppage time which flew inches past the top left corner.

“The opposition had possession of the ball but no great chances. We had a few problems with balls in behind the defence. But okay. The main thing is that we won. We're now in the last eight, and that's more than we could've imagined. For us and for German football, it is a big thing that there are two clubs in the quarter-finals,” remarked Niko Kovac. Only the Brazilian Football Federation and the German Football Federation still have two participants left in the competition. In terms of a continental comparison, it is now Europe (five teams) against the rest of the world. In addition to the two Brazilian clubs – BVB's group opponents Fluminense and Palmeiras – Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia have made it into the elite group of the top eight clubs too. Manchester City, Inter Milan, Juventus and Atlético Madrid are out.

“By getting through the group phase, we have already overperformed. It's now a nice bonus to be playing against the biggest club in the world,” emphasised Niko Kovac. Serhou Guirassy said the following of Real Madrid. “They're a top team, but so are we. It will be a hard game. I hope that we can qualify for the next round.” The best Borussia player at the tournament so far is also in an optimistic mood. “We'll need to have a good day, play with freedom, step on the gas, fight and see whether we can hold our own a little,” explained Gregor Kobel. There is, however, one dampener: Jobe Bellingham received a second yellow card and is now suspended. “It's a great shame that he can't play against his brother. But perhaps he will still get a chance in the Champions League,” Guirassy said.

The two clubs are familiar foes. It's already the 17th meeting between them since 1998 and a repeat edition of the 2024 Champions League final, in which BVB were the better team for 60 minutes but ultimately succumbed to a 2-0 defeat.

But before Saturday's match at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford kicks off, the Black & Yellows will be back at their base camp. “We're now flying back to Fort Lauderdale. It feels a bit like our home now,” explained Niklas Süle after the final whistle in Atlanta, adding: “We have shown in our last meetings with Real Madrid that we can hurt them. We're always capable of surpassing ourselves in knockout matches. We would like to go very, very far...”Boris Rupert