Bellingham Praises Sundowns As Good Side
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jobe Bellingham stated that Mamelodi Sundowns “should be proud of themselves,” calling them “really good opponents” after Dortmund edged the South African giants 4-3 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon.
Bellingham scored Dortmund’s third goal, capitalizing after Ronwen Williams fumbled the ball. Jude Bellingham’s younger brother coolly chested the ball down before his shot took a slight deflection off Keanu Cupido and found the back of the net.
The seven-goal thriller saw Sundowns open the scoring. Lucas Ribeiro Costa shrugged off defenders and broke free to net in the 11th minute. Dortmund responded with two goals, as Felix Nmecha equalized following another mistake by Williams. Guinea striker Serhou Guirassy then headed home his 35th goal of the season at the back post after Dortmund stole possession 35 yards from goal, with Julian Brandt delivering a precise cross.
Dortmund extended their lead when Bellingham fired the third. The fourth goal came when Khuliso Mudau inadvertently deflected Daniel Svensson’s low cross past his goalkeeper. Sundowns pulled one back, however, with Iqraam Rayners bundling the ball in after his initial header hit the post.
In the 90th minute, Sundowns substitute Lebo Mothiba set up a grandstand finish, slotting past Kobel after a quick break. However, Dortmund held on for the victory, which moves them to the top of Group F with four points.
“It was a really tough game,” Bellingham told DAZN Football, the tournament’s rights holder. “A really good opponent there. They were really good; they should be proud of themselves, especially in this climate [searing heat]. It is something we have to adapt to. But it was a really tough game, but an important win.”
This match marked Bellingham’s first start and first goal for Dortmund since he joined from Sunderland during the 10-day FIFA transfer window (June 1-10), specifically for clubs participating in the tournament. “It’s a nice bonus,” Bellingham added on scoring. “I’m glad we won, but there’s still a lot to improve for me personally and for the team. A tough game to kickstart our winning form, I guess, in the tournament, so I’m really pleased.”
With their win, Dortmund moved to the top of Group F with four points after two matches, while Sundowns dropped to second with three points. Dortmund will complete their group stage against Ulsan in Cincinnati on Wednesday at 21:00 SAST, while Sundowns will finish their group campaign against Fluminense in Miami. All matches will be played simultaneously.
Reflecting on his goal, Bellingham added, “To be honest, I’ve practiced that so many times—not the exact finish, but arriving late on the edge of the box. As a midfielder, it is something you have to be really good at. If you can score, if you can contribute those kinds of goals, for a certain amount of pre-season, you are doing well. So, I was really pleased because, as I said, it is something I practiced as a kid and so many times finishing after training and during training.”
