In an exciting contest at the Club World Cup, Borussia Dortmund emerged victorious with a 2-1 triumph over Monterrey in the decisive round of 16 clash held on Tuesday night at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Serhou Guirassy was the standout performer with two first-half goals, both orchestrated by Karim Adeyemi’s deft assists. The opening goal came in the 14th minute, when Guirassy skillfully slotted the ball just inside the left post. A mere 10 minutes later, Guirassy capitalized on another brilliant setup by Adeyemi, firing past keeper Esteban Andrada from 15 yards out.
The French-born Guinean international now has three goals in four tournament matches and has impressively netted 37 times across all competitions in his debut season wearing Dortmund’s colors.
Dortmund’s next challenge lies ahead as they prepare to face Real Madrid on Saturday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Real Madrid advanced earlier in the day with a narrow 1-0 win over Italy’s Juventus.
However, Dortmund will be without Jobe Bellingham for the fixture against Real Madrid, as he received a yellow card in the 28th minute, leading to a suspension for yellow card accumulation. His absence in the match will be particularly noticeable since he would have gone up against his brother, Jude Bellingham, a former Dortmund star now with Real Madrid.
Despite trailing early on, Monterrey was bolstered by their passionate fans and managed to cut the deficit shortly after halftime. A cross intended for the far post glanced off a Dortmund defender’s head before Érick Aguirre managed to direct it back for Germán Berterame to finish effectively with a header.
The Mexican club then mounted multiple attacks, utilizing their pace, and dominated the second half. Monterrey had a 59% possession rate and outshot Dortmund 7-3 on goal but was unable to secure an equalizer as Dortmund’s defense held firm.
There was a strong turnout for the evening’s match, with 31,442 spectators in attendance, comfortably accommodated under the stadium’s closed roof despite the intense summer heat outside.
In an unexpected turn, American player Gio Reyna remained absent from the lineup for the third time in four matches in the tournament, raising questions about his future role at Dortmund.
Dortmund’s forward momentum was sparked early on with Adeyemi’s brilliant flick assisting Guirassy’s initial goal. As a takeaway, it’s notable that five out of the eight quarterfinalists in the tournament hail from Europe, with Monterrey being the last representative from North America.
Serhou Guirassy reflected on his performance, expressing satisfaction with helping his team secure the win, even though he felt another goal might have been within reach. Meanwhile, Monterrey’s captain, Sergio Ramos, praised his team’s performance and underlined the quality of Mexican teams, suggesting they should not be underestimated regardless of global competition.