Fluminense vs. Dortmund Draw Opens Door For Sundowns

Brazilian side Fluminense and German giants Borussia Dortmund played to a goalless draw in their opening Group F match at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday. This result is good news for Mamelodi Sundowns, as it provides them with an opportunity to take control of the group.

Sundowns will face Ulsan HD today at midnight at Inter&Co Stadium, with the winner of that match seizing control of the group.

Fluminense and Dortmund created a few clear-cut chances for either side to win the match, resulting in what appeared to be a fair outcome. Goalkeepers were not significantly tested with difficult saves. This draw has given Sundowns a huge opportunity to take control of the group against the Korean side, who are two-time AFC Champions League winners.

Fluminense qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup by winning the Copa Libertadores in South America in 2023 and are one of four Brazilian clubs participating in this tournament.

In defense, they started the game with stalwart captain Thiago Silva, who won this competition with Chelsea in 2021. The 40-year-old also helped the English side win the UEFA Champions League when they defeated Manchester City.

The former PSG defender then left Chelsea at the end of the 2023/24 season before returning to Fluminense for his second stint, having previously played for the club from 2006 until 2008 before joining AC Milan.

As he approaches 41 years old in September, Silva showed no sign of slowing down, using his experience to effectively mark Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy and winning aerial duels.

Dortmund qualified for this competition via the UEFA pathway, having lost the UEFA Champions League final to Real Madrid in the 2023/24 season. Jobe Bellingham, the younger brother of Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, who they signed from Sunderland in the past couple of days, started this game on the bench.

Fluminense began the match as the stronger side, with Jhon Arias proving to be a constant threat on the right-hand side, testing Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel with a couple of saves.

With no goals in the first half, Arias continued to terrorize the Dortmund defense in the second half. He lobbed the ball over to Everaldo, who was clean through on goal but decided to cut back to set up Agustin Canobbio. However, the attacker’s strike was easily saved by Kobel.

The arrival of Bellingham for Dortmund saw them gain control of the game, dominating the midfield. Everaldo lined up another strike just outside the box for Fluminense, but Kobel stretched to make a brilliant save for Dortmund.

Since neither team created many clear scoring opportunities, the draw was indeed good news for Sundowns, who now have a chance to take control of the group.