Club World Cup: Borussia Dortmund and Fluminense in the round of 16
Borussia Dortmund won a crucial victory and secured first place in Group F at the Club World Cup thanks to a 1-0 success against Ulsan Hyundai. Svensson’s goal in the 36th minute was the decider, enough to guarantee the Germans passage to the round of 16 as first in the group. It was a well-deserved success for Kovac’s team, which dominated for long stretches of the match but had to surrender several times to the superlative interventions of South Korean goalkeeper Jo, the real star of the evening.
Borussia started with great intensity under Cincinnati’s 33-degree weather, coming close to taking the lead on several occasions in the first half. Guirassy, Ryerson and Bellingham repeatedly tested the Korean defense, but it was not until the 36th minute that Svensson, served in the box by Bellingham, found the winning left-footed shot to unlock the game. Before halftime, Jo continued to keep Ulsan in the game with decisive interventions on Gross and Guirassy, preventing Borussia from stretching.
In the second half, aided by the heat and the management of the result, the pace dropped. Ulsan timidly tried to fight back, with Sang-Woo and Jin-Hyun coming close to equalizing, but Kobel answered again and again. Borussia managed without pushing too hard, knowing that with the 0-0 accrued between Fluminense and Mamelodi, first place in the group was assured.
In the round of 16, the Germans will face the runner-up in Inter’s group, which could be River Plate, the Nerazzurri themselves or Monterrey. For Ulsan, on the other hand, the world adventure ends bitterly without a single point won.
In the other match in Group F, the 0-0 draw between Fluminense and Mamelodi allowed the Brazilians to qualify as runners-up. The four Brazilian teams then all advanced to the group stage. Renato Portaluppi’s team now waits to know its next opponent, with the possibility of crossing right into Inter. This would only happen if the Nerazzurri finish first in their group.
