FIFA Club World Cup 2025 | Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns vs Borussia Dortmund | Preview and Prediction

Table-topping Mamelodi Sundowns will face German side Borussia Dortmund in what is a crucial contest in Group F of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

Here are our preview and prediction for the game.

2025 FIFA Club World Cup | Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns FC vs Borussia Dortmund | 21:30 IST, 21 June

Mamelodi Sundowns stand on the cusp of something truly special as they prepare to face Dortmund on Saturday. Their 1–0 win against Ulsan HD has put them in a very advantageous position in terms of qualifying for the knockout stages of this tournament.

The Bafana ba Style were truly dominant against Ulsan, something that the 1–0 scoreline does not truly reflect. They dominated possession, created the better chances, and were very efficient in dictating the tempo of the game. The scoreline would have been even more emphatic had it not been for two correctly disallowed goals and some good goalkeeping from the South Korean side’s goalkeeper.

Their coach, Miguel Cardoso, has been cautiously confident, and the fans back home are extremely cock-a-hoop following the win — and rightly so. A win or a draw against the Germans will more or less rubber-stamp their qualification for the Round of 16, which will be a massive achievement and a huge step in putting South African football back on the global map for the first time since the 2010 World Cup.

Mamelodi will hope that forward Iqraam Rayners continues to come good. He scored three goals against Ulsan, two of which were disallowed for handball and offside, respectively. However, his pace, movement, and ice-cold finishing could be a huge problem for BVB.

As for Dortmund, they did not have a good opening game. While they held on to a goalless draw against Brazilian side Fluminense, they should count themselves lucky because it could easily have been a rather thumping defeat had Fluminense brought their shooting boots along with them.

Dortmund were slow, sluggish, and unable to match neither tempo nor intensity of their opponents. They were also not quick or inventive enough to break down a well-drilled Fluminense defence.

However, the world did get a first glimpse of young Jobe Bellingham as he made his Dortmund debut. With his mechanisms of movement eerily similar to his older brother’s, coupled with his tenacity and running ability, he is likely to have a major part to play in this contest — probably from the first minute.

Dortmund know they need a result to keep alive their hopes of qualification to the knockouts. Given that they have the easier final fixture on paper against Ulsan, the focus for the men in Black and Yellow will be to avoid defeat here — which is easier said than done.

Mamelodi Sundowns have momentum and confidence, while Dortmund have quality and depth. With the former playing for qualification and the latter to stay alive, it is going to be a fascinating contest. While Dortmund look favourites on paper, expect this contest to be an entertaining stalemate.

Score Prediction: Mamelodi Sundowns 1–1 Borussia Dortmund
Venue: TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio