Both Bundesliga representatives were eliminated from the USA-hosted Club World Cup in the quarterfinals on Friday. While Bayern Munich’s defeat was mostly overshadowed by the horror injury suffered

Los Blancos have won their last three matches by a combined score of 7-1, and their latest result, a 1-0 victory over Juventus in the Round of 16, was their most impressive performance of the tournament. Madrid has shown some understandable growing pains under new manager Xabi Alonso, but things have sharpened up with each passing match.

Madrid, too, have taken on BVB in back-to-back seasons, most notably defeating the German side in the 2024 UEFA Champions League final. Much has changed since that Wembley night, and Niko Kovač’s side are built to compromise the control Alonso wishes to oversee in games via slick counter-attacks.