Preview: Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Borussia Dortmund - prediction, team news, lineups

Mamelodi Sundowns’ resolve will be tested this weekend when they face off against Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund at the TQL Stadium in Cincinnati. 

While Sundowns came into the FIFA Club World Cup placed in the bottom pot, the Germans are the third-best-ranked eligible team in the UEFA four-year ranking. 

Match preview

Mamelodi Sundowns enjoyed another incredible domestic season ahead of this tournament, winning the South African Premier Soccer League title for an eighth consecutive season, 12 points clear of their closest challengers, Orlando Pirates. 

Additionally, Masandawana reached the final of the CAF Champions League for the first time since the 2015-16 season, but were defeated 3-2 on aggregate by Egyptian Premier League outfit Pyramids FC. 

The Brazilians earned their first-ever FIFA Club World Cup win in midweek, beating K-League 1 outfit Ulsan HD 1-0 in their opening match, with Iqraam Rayners scoring what turned out to be the winner just before the half time interval. 

While the Club World Cup may be viewed by some of the European teams in the competition as something of a burden after a long season, AFC and CAF representatives widely see it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and Sundowns are embracing it with open arms.

To put into perspective how significant participating in this competition is for Miguel Cardoso’s side, consider this - the winner of the CAF Champions League received less than $5m, while Sundowns have already earned $11.55m just for participating in the tournament and notching up a single victory. 

Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund made an underwhelming start to their Club World Cup campaign, battling to a scoreless draw in wet conditions in their opening match against Fluminense on Tuesday. 

For the second game in a row, post-match discussions focused on the poor condition of the pitch at MetLife Stadium, which was something that Palmeiras’ Estevao expressed concerns about after playing to a goalless draw against Porto on Monday. 

However, despite the scoreline, BVB were outplayed by Fluminense, who registered more goal attempts and consistently threatened throughout the 90 minutes, forcing Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel to make several crucial saves to preserve the point.

Still, given the quality that Niko Kovac has at his disposal, combined with the need to respond after that first game, the Bundesliga giants are expected to bounce back with a big win in this one. 

Mamelodi Sundowns Club World Cup form: W

Mamelodi Sundowns form (all competitions): WWWWDL

Borussia Dortmund Club World Cup form: D

Borussia Dortmund form (all competitions): WWWWWD

Team News

Sundowns fans showed up in large numbers for their team’s opening match, in which crowd favourite Themba Zwane made his long-awaited return to the starting lineup, reclaiming the captain’s armband from Ronwen Williams.

Keanu Cupido made the most of his surprise start at centre-back against Ulsan and will likely keep his place, while Lebo Mothiba, after two games off the bench, is pushing for a start this time.

BVB were missing the injured duo of Nico Schlotterbeck and Emre Can, but new addition Jobe Bellingham made his debut as a substitute against Fluminense and is expected to see more action this weekend. 

Felix Nmecha and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens also came off the bench and made strong cases for a spot in the starting lineup this week at TQL Stadium, where Dortmund’s league rivals Bayern Munich produced a record-breaking victory over Auckland City.

Mamelodi Sundowns possible starting lineup:

Williams; Modiba, Cupido, Kekana, Mudau; Allende, Mokoena; Zwane, Sales, Costa; Rayners

Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:

Kobel; Svensson, Bensebaini, Anton, Sule; Ryerson, Gross, Nmecha; Brandt, Adeyemi; Guirassy

We say: Mamelodi Sundowns 0-2 Borussia Dortmund

While Sundowns got the victory in their first match, they did not create many clear-cut chances, which does not bode well for their chances against a Dortmund attack that is due to click. We expect the South African outfit to prioritise the clean sheet, but doubt they will be able to shut BVB out for the entire 90. 

Written by
Devesh Jaganath

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