Guirassy brace helps Dortmund hold off Monterrey to qualify for Club World Cup quarterfinal

Photo by Carl Recine - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

An excellent start featuring two Serhou Guirassy goals was just enough for Borussia Dortmund to qualify for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday evening in Atlanta with a 2-1 victory over Mexico's Monterrey CF.

The German club's Guinean superstar showed why he is among the world's most feared strikers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, striking twice inside the opening 25 minutes for the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League runners-up. In the 14th minute, Guirassy received a pass from defender Ramy Bensebaini at the edge of the penalty area before producing a deadly combination with Karim Adeyemi for a superb finish.

But Guirassy, who has scored ten goals in his last twelve competitive matches, was not done. Ten minutes after opening the scoring, Adeyemi got behind the Monterrey defense on the right wing and waited for Guirassy to arrive before setting up the striker for a well placed finishg beyond the reach of goalkeeper Esteban Andrada.

Guirassy was guilty of missing a couple more excellent opportunities later on in the first half, allowing Monterrey to regroup at halftime and get back in the match through German Berterame's clever 48th minute header.

However, Dortmund were able to endure a strong second half performance from the Mexican side and progress to the quarterfinals where they will face Real Madrid on July 5 (21:00 GMT) at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Notably, Dortmund will be missing star midfielder Jobe Bellingham after a yellow card on Tuesday means he will not face brother Jude Bellingham in the highly anticipated clash.