Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid and Niko Kovac's Borussia Dortmund have comfortably advanced to the quarter-finals with the same successful performances as they get ready to face each other in East Rutherford for a spot in the semi-finals.
Real achieved a 1-0 victory against Juventus in the round of 16 after finishing at the top of their group with seven points. On the other hand, Dortmund also secured two wins and a draw before narrowly defeating Monterrey 2-1 in the previous knockout stage.
Team news
Kylian Mbappe made a return for Real as a substitute in the last match after recovering from an illness. However, the indications from the Spanish team suggest that he might start on the bench again, with academy player Gonzalo Garcia maintaining his position in the lineup.
Alonso opted for a back three formation against Juventus, but Aurelien Tchouameni's adaptability means he may change the tactics during the game.
Jobe Bellingham, the brother of Real's Jude, will be unavailable for Dortmund due to suspension after receiving two yellow cards.
Marcel Sabitzer is the likely replacement, although Julian Brandt or Yan Couto could also be considered with a minor adjustment.
The stats
Both Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund topped their groups with seven points each.
Real has emerged victorious in their last four encounters with Dortmund, with their most recent meeting resulting in a 5-2 win for Real in the Champions League back in October.
Five out of the last six matches between these two sides have seen four goals or more being scored.
Dortmund has an average of 12.3 shots per game in the Club World Cup, which is the lowest among the eight quarter-finalist teams.
On the other hand, Real is conceding an average of 14 shots per game, which is the highest among the teams in the quarter-finals.
Prediction
Real Madrid secured the Half Time/Full Time bet in two of their group stage matches - a 3-1 victory over Pachuca and a 3-0 win against Salzburg - and they are favored to do so again against Borussia Dortmund at the MetLife Stadium.
This last quarter-final matchup is an exciting all-European contest, a rematch of the 2024 Champions League final, and Real Madrid are confident in their ability to emerge victorious.
Both teams have not been exceptionally impressive in the Club World Cup, but Alonso's team is gradually finding their form after a few weeks under his leadership.
The return of Mbappe to full fitness provides an additional advantage to Real, and with their pace in attack, they can exploit Dortmund's high defensive line effectively.
Dortmund had a stroke of luck in the previous round against Monterrey and are facing challenges in creating scoring opportunities despite their reputation for attacking football.