Borussia Dortmund vs Ulsan Hyundai

Borussia Dortmund will look to secure their spot in the Club World Cup Round of 16 and steer clear of a shock defeat when they take on Ulsan Hyundai in their final group stage match on Wednesday at TQL Stadium.

BVB currently hold second place in Group C with four points, earned through a thrilling 4-3 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns on June 21. They sit in the second qualification position, while Ulsan, pointless and in fourth place, have already been knocked out after a 4-2 defeat loss to Fluminense last Saturday.

Dortmund found themselves trailing 1-0 to South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns within 11 minutes but roared back to lead 3-1 by halftime. However, their second-half performance raised concerns, as they faced 10 shots while managing only three themselves.

With just a one-point lead over Mamelodi Sundowns, who face group leaders Fluminense (also on four points) on Wednesday, Dortmund’s progression to the knockout stage remains uncertain.

Manager Niko Kovac will take heart from his team’s defensive resilience, having secured three clean sheets in their last five games, but he’ll be wary of their vulnerability, having leaked 16 goals in 10 matches.

The Black and Yellow arrive at TQL Stadium in fine form, winning seven of their last eight games and remaining unbeaten in nine.

Dortmund’s attacking prowess has been impressive, with the Bundesliga side finding the net 24 times in their past eight outings.

Meanwhile, Ulsan Hyundai gave Fluminense a tough challenge, leading 2-1 at halftime, but failed to generate any significant chances after the break.

Head coach Pan-Gon Kim’s team, currently fifth in the K League 1 with 29 points from 19 matches, will be frustrated with their mid-table position as defending champions.

Ulsan, who competed in the 2020 Club World Cup and lost 3-1 to Al-Duhail in the fifth-place playoff, are winless in their last four games and have suffered defeats in their three most recent matches before facing Dortmund.

The Tigers’ defense has struggled, conceding 11 goals in their last five games while scoring just seven.