Jobe Bellingham will unfortunately miss the opportunity to face his brother Jude when Borussia Dortmund meets Xabi Alonso`s Real Madrid in their FIFA Club World Cup quarter-final. The match is scheduled for Saturday at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey (kick-off: 2pm EDT/ 10pm CEST).
Summer signing Jobe Bellingham received his second yellow card of the tournament during Dortmund`s 2-1 victory over Monterrey in the round of 16, having previously been booked against Ulsan HD. This suspension prevents him from playing against his older brother for the first time in a competitive senior match. However, head coach Niko Kovač has a strong squad with many other prominent players available.
Serhou Guirassy demonstrated excellent form against Monterrey, scoring both goals in the win. Karim Adeyemi also impressed in the first half by providing two assists. It remains to be seen who will replace the suspended Bellingham in the starting lineup. Marcel Sabitzer came on for the 19-year-old during the Monterrey match. Julian Brandt is another experienced option in central midfield, while Yan Couto could potentially feature on the right flank.
Dortmund will be highly motivated to avenge their recent defeats to Real Madrid, having finished second to the Spanish giants in both the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League final and the group stage of the 2024/25 edition.
Real Madrid, now managed by former Bayer Leverkusen coach Alonso, secured their spot in the quarter-finals with a 1-0 win against Juventus. Like Dortmund, Los Blancos are currently unbeaten in the tournament.
Kylian Mbappé made his tournament debut against the Italian side after recovering from a stomach bug and could be in line to start against BVB. Gonzalo García, the 21-year-old who deputized for the World Cup winner and scored the decisive goal in the last-16 tie, would likely be the player to make way if Mbappé starts.
Jobe`s brother, Jude Bellingham, has already scored one goal in the Club World Cup and is expected to play. Former VfB Stuttgart defender and current Germany international Antonio Rüdiger will also feature. However, former Bayern Munich player David Alaba is sidelined due to injury and has not participated in the tournament.
The winner of this quarter-final clash will advance to face either the reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich or the current Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals.
Match Stats
- Dortmund has lost only one of their last 14 games across all competitions and is currently on an 11-match unbeaten run.
- Only Benfica`s Ángel Di María has scored more goals (four) than Guirassy`s three goals in the Club World Cup so far.
- BVB has kept clean sheets in four of their last seven matches in all competitions.
- Serhou Guirassy and Pascal Groß are both set to make their 50th appearance for Dortmund if they play in this match.
- Jude Bellingham made 132 appearances for Dortmund, scoring 24 goals, and was named 2022/23 Bundesliga Player of the Season.
- Real Madrid will be Dortmund`s fifth opponent from a fifth different confederation in this tournament, making BVB the only quarter-finalist to have faced teams from five different continents.
Probable Line-ups
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel (c) – Süle, Anton, Bensebaini – Ryerson, Groß, Nmecha, Sabitzer, Svensson – Guirassy, Adeyemi
Out: Bellingham (suspended), Can (groin), Özcan (knee), Schlotterbeck (knee)
Doubtful: –
Coach: Niko Kovač
Real Madrid: Courtois – Rüdiger, Tchouaméni, Huijsen – Alexander-Arnold, Bellingham, Valverde (c), Güler, Fran García – Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior
Out: Alaba (muscle), Camavinga (tendon), Endrick (hamstring), Mendy (muscle)
Doubtful: –
Coach: Xabi Alonso
