Real Madrid 3-2 Borussia Dortmund Player Ratings: Fran Garcia Rated 8.0/10 as Real Madrid Edge Past Borussia Dortmund In a Last Minute Thriller to Qualify for The Semifinals

Real Madrid were coming off a gritty performance against Juventus, where Gonzalo Garcia's header sealed the deal for the Los Blancos, while Borussia Dortmund ended Monterrey's hopes to set up a repeat of the 2024 UEFA Champions League Final. Let's take a look at Real Madrid vs Dortmund stats.

Borussia Dortmund had a lively start to the game, with Karim Adeyemi causing problems on the right-hand side against Trent Alexander-Arnold with his trickery and sudden bursts of pace. Real Madrid took some time to settle, but looked like a well-gelled side once things started going their way. Dean Huijsen kept finding Fran Garcia on the left, who was quite lively from the very first minute of the game. In the 10th minute, Arda Guler found Gonzalo Garcia, who was in acres of space inside the Borussia Dortmund penalty box. The Turk dinked in a lovely cross, which was well met by the youngster, who scored his fourth goal of the competition. Dortmund kept pushing, but it was Real Madrid who were more clinical in the final third. Gonzalo Garcia found Trent Alexander-Arnold on the right-hand side of the Borussia Dortmund penalty box, and the Englishman was on hand to provide a dangerous low cross across the face of the goal, which was met nicely by the incoming Fran Garcia, which took Julian Ryerson by surprise. Fran Garcia doubled the lead for the Los Blancos in the 20th minute, which also happened to be his first goal for the Royal Whites. Real Madrid proved to be the better team in the first half and took the lead at halftime. Later, we analyse the Real Madrid CF ratings from the game.

The second half started with Borussia Dortmund displaying more zeal and enthusiasm to keep themselves alive in the game. Real Madrid once again started slowly but gradually grew into the game and just kept getting better with every passing minute. They kept the ball well and defended collectively against a determined Dortmund side. Aurelien Tchouameni saw his shot come off the crossbar, which remained the only highlight of the game in the whole of the second half. Maximilan Beier reduced the deficit in the 90+2nd minute, but Kylian Mbappe scored a brilliant scissor kick in the 90+4th minute to bring back the two-goal advantage for Real Madrid in the game. Dean Huijsen saw a red card for a late pull on Guirassy. The Dortmund forward made no mistake to make it two for his team on the day in the 90+8th minute.

Here are the Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund Player Ratings.

Real Madrid Player Ratings

Here are the Real Madrid Player Ratings:

Goalkeeper:

Thibaut Courtois - 6/10

Didn't have much to do in the first half; was tidy with the ball at his feet. The Belgian goalkeeper was more than efficient in his outing as he claimed quite a few Dortmund corners with ease.

Defenders:

Antonio Rudiger - 6/10

The German defender put up a solid show at the back, using his physicality well against the likes of Serhou Guirassy. Rudiger stepped up to win a tackle or two in and around the penalty area.

Aurelien Tchouameni - 7/10

Aurelien Tchouameni is transforming into a beast under new coach Xabi Alonso, as the midfielder stepped forward from the three-man backline to spray passes all over the field and win an occasional tackle here and there.

Dean Huijsen - 6.5/10

Dean Huijsen is settling well for his new side, as the Spaniard held the defensive line quite well and helped Real Madrid break Borussia Dortmund's defensive lines with exquisite balls from the back. His delicious balls to Fran Garcia on the left were a treat to watch. Received a red card late in the game for a pull on Serhou Guirassy in the penalty box.

Midfielders:

Trent Alexander-Arnold - 7/10

The right back had to face a few problems defensively as Karim Adeyemi kept him on his toes. Offensively, the Englishman was more than efficient as he turned provider for Fran Garcia's first goal of the season.

Jude Bellingham - 6/10

A relatively silent game from the Englishman, as fans didn't quite get to witness the magical twists and turns in around the centre circle. Jude Bellingham made a few good runs into the danger zones and kept the ball well at times. Missed a very good opportunity in the first half, which he should have buried according to his standards.

Fede Valverde - 6.5/10

The engine of the Real Madrid team, Fede Valverde, once again played a captain's role as he was all over the pitch with his burst of pace and never-ending energy. The Uruguayan was on hand to cut out several Dortmund attacks and added a greater dimension to Real Madrid's attacking play with his precisely timed runs.

Arda Guler - 7/10

Deployed in a deeper role once again, Arda Guler passed the test with flying colours as he was instrumental in maintaining the tempo for the Los Blancos. His passes were excellent, coupled with his ability to find spaces and exploit them, no matter thow ight they were. Found Gonzalo Garcia with a lovely dink into the box, which put Madrid in the lead.

Fran Garcia - 8/10

Fran Garcia has found some fresh air under the new manager, as the left back has gone on to improve drastically with every passing game. Made several darting runs in and around the Borussia Dortmund penalty area, which Daniel Svensson found difficult to deal with at times. Scored his first goal of the season with a lovely run into the box to meet the low driven cross from fellow wingback Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Forwards:

Gonzalo Garcia - 7.5/10

The youngster has lived up to the expectations of both the Madrid fans and Xabi Alonso, as he found the back of the net in a crucial game again. Missed a half-chance earlier in the game but made no mistake to find some space in the box and calmly put Guler's cross past a helpless Gregor Kobel.

Vinicius Junior - 5.5/10

Vinicius Junior seemed to try his trickery on the left-hand side and was successful quite a few times. Had a chance or two to have his name on the scoresheet, but was unlucky to find the back of the net. He's surely improving, but has a lot to do to reach the standards he has set so far.

Substitutes:

Dani Ceballos - 6/10

Luka Modric - 6/10

Kylian Mbappe - 6/10

Scored a brilliant scissor kick in the last few minutes of the game to bring back the two-goal advantage for Real Madrid.

Raul Asencio - 6/10

Rodrygo - NA

Manager:

Xabi Alonso - 7.5/10

Went with his usual 3-4-3 formation and put faith in the young Gonzalo Garcia to lead the forward line once again in place of Kylian Mbappe. His team played with much more fluidity than in the previous game and looked dangerous on counterattacks. Real Madrid defended as a unit and kept Borussia Dortmund at bay for the majority of the match. Alonso brought in reinforcements at the right time in the second half to keep the match in his control and stylishly secured the win.

Borussia Dortmund Player Ratings

Here are the Borussia Dortmund Player Ratings:

Goalkeeper:

Gregor Kobel - 6/10

Couldn't have done much in both goals from Real Madrid. However, he was quite efficient with the ball at his feet.

Defenders:

Niklas Sule - 5.5/10

Held the defensive line well and was on hand to thwart several Madrid attacks in and around the danger area. The German defender stepped up to deal with a few crosses and was on his toes to mark Gonzalo Garcia properly after the first goal.

Waldemar Anton - 6/10

Had a decent game alongside Sule but should have marked Gonzalo Garcia better, leading to the first goal of the game. Improved his game in the second half and covered the spaces quite well.

Ramy Bensebaini - 6/10

Struggled to keep up with Gonzalo Garcia's pace at times. Came forward to win some duels in crucial places in and around the penalty box and was on point with his passing game.

Midfielders:

Julian Ryerson - 6/10

Had a tough time dealing with Vinicius Junior on the left-hand side, as the Brazilian didn't shy away from using his trickery and speed to their full potential. Improved drastically in the second half, as the wingback made several important interceptions that could have caused all kinds of problems for the Borussia Dortmund backline.

Marcel Sabitzer - 5/10

Marcel Sabitzer was largely ineffective in the middle of the pitch, with too many wayward passes, which caused problems for his team. The Austrian midfielder found it hard to cut the passing lanes, which opened up chances for Real Madrid every now and then.

Julian Brandt - 6.5/10

Julian Brandt seemed to be the only one trying to make things happen in the centre of the park for Borussia Dortmund. The German midfielder was quite sleek with his passing and got past the Madrid midfield with ease, with his neatly timed runs.

Pascal Gross - 5.5/10

Lacked discipline as he lunged into dangerous tackles in the middle of the park, one of which even earned him a yellow card. The former Brighton man didn't seem to have a good day on the field, as his passes were well intercepted and his runs were kept in check by the opposition.

Daniel Svensson - 6/10

Both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Gonzalo Garcia gave him a tough time on the right. Made quite a few good runs forward to support Karim Adeyemi. Should have dealt better with Trent's cross, which Fran Garcia put in the back of the net.

Forwards:

Serhou Guirassy - 7/10

Dropped deep to help the midfielders regulate the passing of the ball into the wide areas. Used his body well to shield the ball and made a few good turns, which left the Madrid players bamboozled at times. Didn't get the required service from his teammates, as his frustration in the later stages of the game was visible. Put the penalty away nicely high and above Thibaut Courtois to reduce the deficit again for Dortmund.

Karim Adeyemi - 6.5/10

The winger was quite lively whenever he had the ball at his feet and caused a few problems for Trent on the right-hand side. His passing was on-point, but he couldn't make much of a difference as he was kept at bay collectively by the Madrid defense.

Substitutes:

Maximilian Beier - 7/10

Scored the only goal for his side in the dying minutes of the game.

Felix Nmecha - 6/10

Yan Couto - 6/10

Julien Duranville - 6/10

Carnie Chukwuemeka - NA

Manager:

Niko Kovac - 6/10

His team played with little enthusiasm in the second half, but turned back their fortunes in the second half with inspired performances, but it was too late. His team lacked depth in defense and midfield, which cost them the game, unfortunately.

Sportsdunia Player of the Match: Fran Garcia