Serhou Guirassy scored twice as Borussia Dortmund edged past Monterrey with a 2-1 victory on Monday to reach the Club World Cup quarter-finals, where they will face Real Madrid.
Guirassy continued his clinical run of form, netting both of Dortmund’s goals in the first half before the Bundesliga side withstood a spirited second-half display from the Mexican outfit, led by veteran defender Sergio Ramos.
Despite a late scare, including a stoppage-time header from Ramos that narrowly missed the target, Dortmund held on to secure their place in the next round. The German club will now meet Real Madrid, who had earlier defeated Juventus.
Playing in the air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta after enduring sweltering conditions in earlier matches, Dortmund looked much sharper from the outset. Monterrey, whose coach Domenec Torrent had stressed the need for defensive discipline, struggled to contain the Germans’ slick interplay.
The opening goal came after 14 minutes, when Guirassy combined deftly with Karim Adeyemi to outwit Jorge Rodríguez before finishing neatly at the near post. The Guinea striker doubled his tally ten minutes later, again assisted by Adeyemi, bringing his season total to an impressive 37 goals across all competitions.
“Guirassy is one of the top strikers in the world,” said Dortmund full-back Yan Couto. “He was decisive again today.”
Monterrey nearly equalised through Jesús Corona, whose cross clipped the post. But Dortmund were dominant in the opening half, both in possession and physicality. Jobe Bellingham received a yellow card for a reckless challenge, ruling him out of the next match — where he would have faced his older brother, Jude.
Monterrey showed greater urgency after the break and pulled one back through Germán Berterame, who headed home from close range. Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel, who had been solid throughout, had no chance to stop the effort. Kobel later denied Corona and endured a tense spell as Monterrey pushed for an equaliser.
There was late drama when Berterame had the ball in the net again, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. Meanwhile, Guirassy squandered another opportunity to complete his hat-trick as Monterrey fans urged their team on.
Tensions briefly escalated when sections of the Monterrey supporters were warned for using a homophobic chant — an issue that has previously seen the Mexican football federation sanctioned by FIFA.
In a final roll of the dice, Torrent sent Sergio Ramos forward in the dying minutes. Wearing the number 93 shirt — a nod to his iconic Champions League final goal for Real Madrid—the 39-year-old nearly forced extra time with a glancing header that drifted just wide.
