Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund meet in New Jersey on Saturday with a place in the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals on the line. The winner will face one of PSG or Bayern Munich in that semifinal, also in New Jersey, and the narratives are already swirling no matter who advances.

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.