Sundowns Fall To Dortmund In Seven-Goal Thriller At Club World Cup

Mamelodi Sundowns put up a spirited fight but ultimately fell 4-3 to Borussia Dortmund in a thrilling second Group B match of the FIFA Club World Cup at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday.

Costly errors from Sundowns were ruthlessly punished by the German side, who had drawn their first group game against Fluminense.

Dortmund’s goals showcased their clinical finishing and higher level of play, while one of their strikes benefited from a moment of madness from Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.

Sundowns started brightly, controlling the tempo and creating early chances. In the sixth minute, Tashreeq Matthews, a former Dortmund academy player, was released by Marcelo Allende on the left. Matthews cut inside and unleashed a powerful shot, but Gregor Kobel was on hand to make the save.

Moments later, pure ecstasy erupted for Sundowns. Lucas Ribeiro Costa expertly dissected the Dortmund defense, maintaining possession and composure before slotting past a helpless Kobel. This marked Ribeiro’s 21st goal of the season, solidifying his status as a strong contender for the PSL Footballer of the Year award.

Dortmund struggled to cope with Sundowns’ smooth play and control of the match tempo. However, a significant error from Williams allowed Dortmund back into the game. A midfield pass by Williams was easily intercepted by Felix Nmecha, who took full advantage to tap in an easy equalizer.

Dortmund, seizing on the opportunity, demonstrated their sharpness and danger at this level. Following the equalizer, the German giants appeared to gain the initiative. Williams redeemed himself somewhat by blocking Serhou Guirassy’s close-range shot in the 19th minute, preventing Nico Kovac’s side from taking the lead.

The action swung end to end. Sundowns attacker Matthews had another promising break, getting behind Dortmund’s defense. Instead of going for goal, he opted to pass to Iqraam Rayners, but Dortmund’s defense managed to clear the danger. In the 29th minute, Costa shrugged off a challenge and darted into the box, but his two shots were blocked by a scrambling Dortmund defense, denying the Brazilian a potential brace.

Dortmund completed their turnaround, securing midfield possession. Julian Brandt lofted the ball, and an unchallenged Guirassy beat Williams at the near post to give the German side the lead. On the stroke of halftime, Jobe Bellingham scored his first goal for Dortmund, making it 3-1. Williams shifted to one side, but Bellingham’s shot took a deflection off Keanu Cupido and went the other way, seemingly putting the game beyond Sundowns.

Guirassy almost extended Dortmund’s lead to 4-1 when a ball was whipped to the far post, but the Guinea striker was denied by Williams.

Sundowns had an encouraging second half, imposing themselves on the game. Rayners came close to scoring his second, but his shot was blocked by Kobel before clipping the crossbar, though the former Stellenbosch striker was deemed offside.

Sundowns’ second-half revival was temporarily thwarted as Dortmund scored their fourth goal in the 60th minute. Daniel Svensson’s cross was deflected off Khuliso Mudau’s leg for an own goal, wrong-footing Williams.

Sundowns narrowed the deficit in the 62nd minute when Teboho Mokoena’s floated free-kick was met by Rayners. His initial attempt came off the crossbar, but the ball rebounded to him, allowing the striker to finish and make it 4-2.

Jayden Adams was caught being lackadaisical when the ball came to him, and it was intercepted by an alert Guirassy, who almost punished Sundowns, but Cupido produced a vital block to deny the Guinea striker a second goal.

In the 90th minute, Lebo Mothiba and Lutlwano Letlhaku combined beautifully, with the latter beating Kobel to make it 4-3, creating an uncomfortable final few minutes for Dortmund, who had appeared to be cruising. It was Mothiba’s first goal in Sundowns colors.

Despite the loss, Sundowns showed great spirit in this game. Having defeated Ulsan in their first match, their destiny for advancing to the knockout stages remains in their own hands. They must secure a victory in their final group game against Fluminense at Hard Rock Stadium on Wednesday at 21:00 SAST.

Dortmund will complete their group stage against Ulsan HD in Cincinnati on the same day, with both matches taking place simultaneously.