Real Madrid goes against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, July 5 in a quarterfinal match in the FIFA Club World Cup.

Madrid, too, have taken on BVB in back-to-back seasons, most notably defeating the German side in the 2024 UEFA Champions League final. Much has changed since that Wembley night, and Niko Kovač’s side are built to compromise the control Alonso wishes to oversee in games via slick counter-attacks.

Los Blancos have won their last three matches by a combined score of 7-1, and their latest result, a 1-0 victory over Juventus in the Round of 16, was their most impressive performance of the tournament. Madrid has shown some understandable growing pains under new manager Xabi Alonso, but things have sharpened up with each passing match.