Borussia Dortmund held off a spirited second-half comeback from Monterrey to seal a 2–1 victory and book the final spot in the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Atlanta on Tuesday.
First-half goals from Serhou Guirassy in the 14th and 24th minutes gave the Bundesliga side a comfortable cushion heading into the break, but German Berterame pulled one back for the Mexican club early in the second half to set up a tense finish.
Despite relentless pressure from Monterrey, Dortmund’s defence held firm to secure a place in the last eight, where they will face 15-time European champions Real Madrid in New Jersey on Saturday.
However, the highly anticipated Bellingham family reunion will not materialise, as Dortmund’s Jobe Bellingham received a yellow card in the 28th minute—his second of the tournament—ruling him out of the clash against his elder brother Jude’s Real Madrid.
The match began at a frantic pace, with full-blooded tackles and attacking intent from both sides. Monterrey’s Nelson Deossa tested goalkeeper Gregor Kobel with a powerful long-range effort, but it was Dortmund who struck first. Guirassy exchanged quick passes with Karim Adeyemi before firing home at the near post.
Dortmund doubled their advantage just 10 minutes later. Julian Ryerson won the ball with a strong challenge before launching a long ball to Adeyemi, who showed patience and precision to set up Guirassy for his second of the night.
Guirassy had chances to complete his hat-trick before halftime, but failed to convert opportunities created by Jobe Bellingham and Pascal Gross.
Monterrey came out firing after the interval and were quickly rewarded. Jesús Corona, a constant threat, curled a dangerous cross to the far post where Erick Aguirre nodded it back across goal for Berterame to head home.
The Liga MX side kept pushing for an equaliser. Corona had one effort saved by Kobel and another fly just over, while Berterame briefly thought he had a second goal before it was ruled out for offside.
Dortmund regained some control after 70th-minute substitutions and Guirassy came close to a third, but the closing moments belonged to Monterrey. Veteran defender Sergio Ramos, seeking a dream reunion with Real Madrid, nearly forced extra time with a stoppage-time header that grazed the post.
In the end, Dortmund did just enough to advance, keeping their title hopes alive in the revamped tournament.