Real Madrid's best defender painfully shows he still has a lot to learn

Real Madrid CF v Borussia Dortmund: Quarter-final - FIFA Club World Cup 2025
Real Madrid CF v Borussia Dortmund: Quarter-final - FIFA Club World Cup 2025 | David Ramos/GettyImages

Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 3-2 in the Club World Cup quarter-finals to set up a mouth-watering clash with PSG on Wednesday.

It was an electrifying and chaotic end to the game, with three goals, including a penalty, scored in added time alone.

Real Madrid were always sure of the victory, but they did let Dortmund back into the game when Guirassy scored his penalty.

In the last moments of the game, Thibaut Courtois produced one of the best saves of his entire career to deny extra-time at the last kick of the game.

Real Madrid's best defender painfully shows he still has a lot to learn

The penalty incident, however, is going to be a bigger talking point than anything else. Dean Huijsen, who has been one of Real Madrid's best players of the tournament, pulled Guirassy with no intention of playing the ball as the last man, and gave away the penalty, while also receiving a red card.

Huijsen will now miss Real Madrid's biggest game of the entire Club World Cup when they face PSG on Wednesday.

It was absolutely careless and something Real Madrid fans were angry at Raul Asencio for. There was absolutely no need here. Some could argue it was even less of a need here than in the Asencio red card against Pachuca.

And it was not expected from Huijsen at all, who has been a top-three Real Madrid player this tournament, and has easily been their best signing of the season so far.

There was so much rightful praise for the Spain International, as he has been exceptional - hell, he was great against Dortmund until that red card, too.

But that red card clearly shows that Huijsen, while he has been excellent, is still young, at the end of the day. There was absolutely no need for it, and Real Madrid will now be without a big part of their build-up against the team that won the treble just a few weeks ago.


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