Borussia Dortmund at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup are very different to the team that was crushed by Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in October, having led by two goals.

With Vinicius Junior starting, Real Madrid scored 5 goals in a row. At that time, Dortmund was coached by Nuri Sahin - who had to say goodbye last January.

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Dortmund are very different from the last time they met. Photo: EFE

Mike Tullberg took charge for a few days, before Niko Kovac came in and made his mark so far.

Thanks to the experience of a veteran coach who once led the Croatian national team and Bayern Munich, Kovac helped Dortmund take off.

Dortmund made their strongest breakthrough in more than a decade: taking 22 of the final 24 points and moving up to fourth place in the Bundesliga, with the reward of a Champions League place next season.

Dortmund also stood out in the Champions League and made Barcelona tremble in the second leg of the quarter-finals.

At the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup , Dortmund are unbeaten with 3 wins and 1 draw – against Fluminense who have just qualified for the semi-finals against Chelsea.

Although most of the opponents in the US recently were not too strong, the mark that Kovac brought, both in tactics and fighting spirit, cannot be underestimated. Serhou Guirassy is also a threat to any defense.

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Guirassy is a big challenge for Real Madrid's defense. Photo: Imago

In the last 11 Bundesliga matches, Kovac helped Dortmund win 9 and draw 2. One impressive result was a 4-2 victory over Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen.

Now, the two meet again in a different scenario. Alonso is making his mark on the changes with Real Madrid , and is keen to win against Dortmund to confirm the quality of his work.

The stability in the three-man centre-back system, with Tchouameni moving from midfield to defence, is improving in terms of flexibility – especially in the second half of the round of 16 match against Juventus.

Alonso's new system has turned Federico Valverde into a free central midfielder, often entering the box to finish. Arda Guler has also had plenty of space to express himself.

There is a problem that is giving Alonso a headache: using Kylian Mbappe as a starter, or continuing to trust in "lucky" Gonzalo Garcia - the author of 3 goals and 1 assist.

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Gonzalo's form gives Alonso a headache. Photo: EFE

Gonzalo is a typical “number 9”, not needing much of the ball but very effective. He also actively presses with high intensity.

A match worth looking forward to. However, many people are somewhat regretful for not witnessing the competition between the Bellingham brothers.

Jude is currently the leader of Real Madrid, while Jobe quickly shone with Dortmund but was suspended for the quarter-finals.

Force:

Real Madrid: Camavinga, Mendy, Alaba, Endrick injured.

Dortmund: Emre Can, Schlotterbeck injured; Jobe Bellingham suspended.

Expected lineup:

Real Madrid (3-5-2) : Courtois; R u diger, Tchouam e ni, Huijsen; Alexander-Arnold, Valverde , Arda G u ler, Bellingham, F ran Garc i a; G onzalo , Vin i cius .

Dortmund (3-5-2): Kobel; S u le, Anton, Bensebaini; Ryerson; Gro ss , Sabitzer, Nmecha, Svensson; Guirassy, ​​Adeyemi.

Match odds: Real Madrid handicap 1

Goal rate: 3

Prediction: Real Madrid win 3-2 .

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/nhan-dinh-bong-da-real-madrid-vs-dortmund-tu-ket-fifa-club-world-cup-2418489.html