
Mbappe's overhead kick propels Real Madrid to win over Dortmund
ATLANTA: Nine-man Paris Saint-Germain set up a Club World Cup semi-final clash against their former superstar striker Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid with a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich on Saturday in Atlanta. Los Blancos squeezed out Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in New Jersey in the day's other quarter-final clash, with Mbappe on the scoresheet for the first time at the tournament.
Luis Enrique's PSG needed to dig deep in front of 67,000 fans at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium after late red cards for Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez. The French side won the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history in May, despite their key player Mbappe departing for Real last year.
ATLANTA: PSG's Ousmane Dembele (right) celebrates scoring his team's second goal with Achraf Hakimi during the Club World Cup quarterfinal match with Bayern Munich on July 5, 2025. — AFP photos
Young forward Desire Doue, who shone on PSG's road to European glory, and Ballon d'Or candidate Ousmane Dembele got the goals in the second half of an enthralling clash against Vincent Kompany's Bayern, who had two strikes ruled out for offside. The German giants also lost playmaker Jamal Musiala to a horror ankle injury just before half-time, which Kompany said made his 'blood boil' because of how unfortunate it is for the 22-year-old. 'After the first red card it became complicated, then with two players less it was a bit of a lottery,' said a relieved Luis Enrique.
PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and his Bayern counterpart Manuel Neuer both made several excellent saves in a pulsating battle at the air-conditioned, covered venue which allowed both sides' high-pressing, attacking approaches to shine. Players and spectators at both matches observed a minute of silence in honour of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, who tragically died in a car crash on Thursday.
PSG's clash with Bayern was FIFA's expanded tournament's biggest heavyweight clash thus far and the game delivered, even if fans had to wait until the 78th minute for the opener. After Harry Kane gave the ball away, PSG surged forward and 20-year-old Doue fashioned some space on the edge of the box before flashing a low strike home at the near post. Bayern were given hope as they hunted for an equalizer when PSG defender Pacho was sent off for a high tackle on Leon Goretzka after 83 minutes.
Kane had a goal disallowed for offside, like Bayern's Dayot Upamecano in the first half, and after Hernandez was dismissed for an elbow Dembele tucked home the second in stoppage time, paying tribute to Jota by copying his video-gaming celebration. 'In the first half we showed them who we are and they had problems with us,' said Bayern substitute Thomas Mueller, who played his last game for the club.
Borussia Dortmund's Yan Couto fights for the ball with Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe as he scores his team's third goal.
Mbappe strikes
Real Madrid cruised for the most part against Dortmund before a flurry of goals at the end left them in danger of losing their lead. Xabi Alonso, unbeaten at the helm, shifted back to a four-man defence against Niko Kovac's side, shorn of suspended Jobe Bellingham, who would have loved to face his older brother, Madrid's Jude.
The coach decided to leave Mbappe, who missed the three group games after a stomach bug, on the bench and persist with Gonzalo Garcia up front. The 21-year-old striker paid back Alonso for his confidence by grabbing his fourth goal of the tournament after 10 minutes with a close-range finish from Arda Guler's cross. 'He's doing great work for the team ... he's in the right position in the box, he's a proper number nine,' said Alonso.
In the 20th minute Fran Garcia doubled Los Blancos' lead, rushing into the box to polish off Trent Alexander-Arnold's dangerous ball across the face of goal. Madrid were cruising to victory until Max Beier drilled home in stoppage time. Real responded, with substitute Mbappe netting his 44th goal of the season with an acrobatic finish from another Guler cross.
He paid tribute to the late Jota by making the number 20 with his hands, the Portuguese striker's shirt number at Liverpool. Madrid were not home and dry. Dean Huijsen was sent off for tugging back Serhou Guirassy as he ran through and the Guinea international netted from the spot, but Dortmund had no time to equalize. 'Everything was under control with the result, not conceding much, but the last 10 minutes were kind of crazy,' said Alonso. 'We lost our shape and our intensity, and luckily nothing went wrong.' — AFP
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Arab Times
an hour ago
- Arab Times
Saudi club Al-Ahli targets Messi as a free agent in December
RIYADH, July 7: Saudi club Al-Ahli has entered negotiations to sign Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, currently playing for Inter Miami, according to French newspaper L'Equipe. The report states that Al-Ahli's management aims to acquire Messi as a free agent once his contract with the American club expires in December. Interest from Saudi clubs in Messi is no secret, with strong efforts made during the summer of 2023 after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain ended. L'Equipe highlighted, 'Two years later, Saudi clubs have not lost hope of signing Messi, who will become a free agent at the end of this year.' While financial details of the talks remain undisclosed, the report notes Saudi Arabia's determination to secure a deal, especially as the country prepares to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Officials from Al-Ahli, the winner of this year's AFC Champions League, have been pursuing Messi for weeks. Meanwhile, Inter Miami is also keen to retain the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner after his two impressive seasons in MLS.


Arab Times
an hour ago
- Arab Times
Dehydrated Mbappé delayed by doping test after Real Madrid win
NEW JERSEY, July 7: Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé found himself alone at MetLife Stadium on Saturday night after his team departed for the airport without him following a 3-2 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Club World Cup quarterfinals in the United States. Mbappé, who scored his first goal of the tournament during the victory, remained behind after being selected for a mandatory doping test. While the rest of the Real Madrid squad boarded the team bus en route to West Palm Beach, Miami, the French star was delayed on the field for nearly an hour. Sources close to the team revealed that Mbappé had difficulty providing a sample due to dehydration, compounded by the intense heat and a recent recovery from a stomach and intestinal illness. Nearly an hour after the team's departure, Mbappé finally exited the stadium. He left in a black vehicle, accompanied by a club official and escorted by five police cars, to catch up with the team at the airport. Mbappé had missed Real Madrid's first three matches in the Club World Cup. He returned to action as a substitute in the round of 16 match against Juventus, and again in the quarterfinal showdown with Dortmund.

Kuwait Times
21 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
New Zealand struggle past under-strength France 31-27
DUNEDIN: New Zealand's Fabian Holland (center) secures the ball during the first international rugby Test match between New Zealand and France at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on July 5, 2025. - AFP DUNEDIN: New Zealand edged past an under-strength France 31-27 in Dunedin on Saturday to record a 500th Test win for the All Blacks in unconvincing fashion. Will Jordan scored two tries to secure a tense victory as the All Blacks held off an energetic France side fielding eight debutants to take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series. New Zealand wing Sevu Reece lasted less than a minute as poor technique in a tackle saw him dazed and helped from the field with a head injury. It forced an immediate reshuffle, with Jordan moving from fullback to the right wing, and Damian McKenzie coming off the bench. It clearly rattled the All Blacks. The young French side took the lead from a penalty goal in the seventh minute and extended it to 10 points soon after when No.8 Mickael Guillard crossed next to the posts. New Zealand centre Jordie Barrett thought he had scored moments earlier, after Cam Roigard split the line and fed him for an easy try, only for it to be pulled back for a knock-on in the build-up. But the home side's response was swift. Jordan scored his first of the night on the end of a pinpoint Beauden Barrett cut-out pass. Tupou Vai'i gave New Zealand the lead for the first time moments later, crashing under the posts as the attack started to click on the back of fierce defensive work. Jordie Barrett did score a try just before half-time, diving like a slip fielder to catch a Jordan pass on the right wing, before finding his feet and plopping over. But France would not lie down and hit back almost immediately from the second-half kickoff. Rieko Ioane, playing on the wing for the first time in four years, bobbled the restart, allowing France good territory and Gabin Villiere scored to cut the deficit to a single point at 21-20. Jordan scored his second of the match - his 40th Test try - to restore an eight-point advantage but again France wouldn't give in. Replacement Jacobus Van Tonder broke the All Blacks line and fell just short of the posts, allowing Cameron Woki to cross off the back. France were reduced to 14 after try-scorer Villiere was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-down, but New Zealand couldn't capitalize. Billy Proctor and Jordan had tries disallowed for a knock-on and obstruction respectively, as the television match official drew loud boos from the capacity crowd. A Beauden Barrett penalty extended the lead to 31-27 with six minutes remaining but France immediately gained territory as they searched for the winning try with the clock ticking down. A knock-on with 90 seconds remaining allowed the All Blacks to regain possession and hang on for a hard-fought victory.- AFP