Borussia Dortmund manager ready for Real Madrid clash – ‘We’ll have opportunities’ | OneFootball

Real Madrid will battle it out with Borussia Dortmund this weekend in the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup, hoping to advance to the final four of the tournament.

After a slow start with a draw against Al-Hilal, Real Madrid under Xabi Alonso have been picking up steam, winning three in a row against Pachuca, RB Salzburg, and Juventus.

And, heading into the quarterfinals on Saturday, Los Blancos are seen as the favourites – something that is not lost on Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac.

Niko Kovac on Real Madrid clash

Speaking to the media, Kovac recognised that Borussia Dortmund are not the favourites for the game. However, one factor that plays in their favour is their familiarity with Alonso and his playing philosophy, developed during his two and a half seasons in the Bundesliga.

“Real Madrid have a great team with a number of excellent individual players. They play a very vertical and fast style. We’re basically seeing the same style of football that Xabi already played at Leverkusen,” said Kovac.

Real Madrid will face Niko Kovac’s Dortmund this weekend. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

“We’re not the favorites . In football, you have to play first. If we perform like we did in the first half against Monterrey, we’ll have opportunities,” the Dortmund coach acknowledged.

Avoiding risks key, says Kobel

From the perspective of goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, the key will be avoiding the kind of risks they took in their 2-1 win over Monterrey.

“Real Madrid have a different caliber of players, and that poses a great danger. We can’t play with our defensive line so far forward because the gaps will become too great. We have to find more balance,” the Swiss goalkeeper said.

Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund faced off twice last year in the UEFA Champions League, with Los Blancos winning on both occasions – once in the finals of the 2023/24 season (2-0) and again in the league phase of the 2024/25 campaign (5-2).

Source: AS