The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup has reached the quarter-final stages, and attention now turns to four intriguing ties featuring both soccer’s most renowned franchises and high-spirited underdogs in a sprint to global stardom.
Each side is three wins away from lifting the coveted prize. However, who will step up in their respective win or go home match-up?
Sport Preview’s Ethan Pitts tips some selections for Saturday’s quarter-final fixtures, as we take a step closer to the conclusion of the competition.
Real Madrid to beat Borussia Dortmund and both teams to score – 2/1 (Bet365)
Real Madrid will continue their hunt for a first bit of silverware under Xabi Alonso when they take on a resurgent Borussia Dortmund at the Metlife Stadium.
After topping Group H, Madrid sent out a statement in the Round of 16 with a dominant performance over Italian giants Juventus, finishing 1-0 after a display for the ages from Michele De Gregorio in the ‘Old Lady’s’ net.
Dortmund, led by Croatian Niko Kovač, come into this match-up after defeating Monterrey on Wednesday in a tight affair, with Serhou Guirassy netting twice in a 2-1 win for ‘BVB’.
Saturday’s match echoes last year’s UEFA Champions League final, where ‘Los Blancos’ prevailed on the night.
This has been a particular theme between the two sides, with Madrid winning in the last four meetings between the two – making them the clear favourites and an obvious play for this fixture.
Both sides come into this game with two of the most robust attacks in the competition, and this is showcased in their head-to-head history, where both teams have scored in five out of their last six matches.
For punters with an interest in score betting, I think there is incredible value for either a 2-1 Real Madrid win at 15/2 (Bet365) or a 3-1 Real Madrid win – priced at 11/1 with Betfred.
Dortmund come into this game with 27 goals in their last 10 matches throughout all competitions.
However, under Alonso, Madrid should once again prove too much for a Dortmund defence defined by its recent inconsistencies, with the Galacticos – boosted by the return of Kylian Mbappe – expected to outscore a spirited BVB attack.
Therefore, the selection for Saturday’s powerhouse clash will be Real Madrid to win and both teams to score – priced at 2/1 with Bet365.
MORE BETTING TIPS: FIFA Club World Cup 2025 betting tips: Arias to star in tight match; tempers to flare in Chelsea victory
Paris Saint-Germain to have over 6.5 shots on target – 15/8 (UniBet)
Set to take place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Paris Saint-Germain take on Bayern Munich in a blockbuster showdown between two of Europe’s most successful franchises.
PSG enter Saturday’s match as the overall top-performing side at the competition so far – only conceding one goal over 360 minutes of soccer.
However, as well as their adept defensive work, Les Parisiens have arguably the most dangerous attacking system in Europe – masterminded by the Spaniard, Luis Enrique.
Whether its Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi bombing down the flanks, or Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele causing chaos in the opposition’s box – this team is potent in all facets of the game.
Nothing epitomises this more than their absurd shots-on-target consistency, which appears to be the most valuable play for this weekend’s clash.
This year’s UEFA Champions League winners combine a mix of creative sophistication and unrelenting pressure to maximise opportunities in front of their opposition’s goal.
This is anchored further by their Club World Cup statistics so far, as despite an extremely poor showing against Botafogo, Enrique’s side still average over seven shots-on-target a game.
In fact, PSG have had over 6.5 shots-on-target in seven out of their last eight games in all competitions – including games against European giants such as Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid.
It is key to acknowledge that this Munich side under Vincent Kompany is a proven winning machine, and therefore may prove to be the toughest test for Enrique’s men so far.
However, driven by a youthful vibrancy and complete tactical freedom – this team will not be awed by anyone they face.
For these reasons, I expect PSG to dominate the game in their usual fashion and test Manuel Neuer’s goal from all angles, accumulating over 6.5 shots-on-target in the process – a selection which is best priced at 15/8 with UniBet.
