Mamelodi Sundowns v Dortmund match preview
Mamelodi Sundowns will qualify for the last 16 of the 2025 Fifa Club World Cup if they beat Borussia Dortmund in Cincinnati on Saturday.
The reigning South African champions started their campaign with a 1-0 win over South Korean team Ulsan on Wednesday, Iqraam Rayners scoring.
Rayners warned afterwards that the Sundowns will face a “sterner test” against Dortmund and “mustn’t get ahead of ourselves”.
“We need to keep our heads and remain composed,” said the striker. “We kept moving the ball quickly. We knew how we needed to set up and how to play against Ulsan because our coach gave us important tactical information that proved decisive on the pitch.”
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Manager Miguel Cardoso praised Rayners’ scoring ability. “His positioning is second to none,” he added. “He knows exactly when and where to find space to inflict damage on our opponents.
“He’s had a tough season, with many ups and downs, but he’s handled it incredibly well across the domestic league, the CAF Champions League, and now the Club World Cup.
“As a coach, it’s a real blessing to have quality players like him in your squad. I’ve got a squad full of talented players and even those who feature less regularly are still hugely important to us.
“Our attacking options, like Iqraam, are silky, creative players and need to be able to express themselves freely on the pitch.”
Fourth in the Bundesliga last season, Dortmund started with a 0-0 draw against Brazilian team Fluminense in New Jersey.
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“We would have liked three points, but we can certainly live with one,” said sporting direcotr Sebastian Kehl. “In view of the situation in the group, it was important to come away with the point.
“It wasn’t easy in those [hot] conditions, but that shouldn’t be an excuse either. It is not always easy to find your way into a tournament and we realised that we have to do more.
“I’m confident that we’ll show that over the course of the next two games. We got a point against a Brazilian team that is in full swing. But it was also clear that we have to exert ourselves.
“It’s great that Inter Miami give us the opportunity to train [at their facilities]. The weight room and the conditions on the field are good for us to work in. We try to do our sessions in the morning because it gets very hot very quickly.”
Mamelodi Sundowns v Dortmund team news
New Dortmund signing Jobe Bellingham came off the bench against Fluminense. “First of all, I was pleased that he played his first game straightaway,” said Kehl.
“It showed that he first of all needs time in order to internalise the processes. He looked very committed and called for the ball as soon as he came on.”
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Midfielder Emre Can and centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck had been major doubts through injury and did not feature in the matchday squad.
Jody February did not travel to the tournament with the Sundowns because the goalkeeper has a knee injury requiring an operation.
Mamelodi Sundowns v Dortmund expected line-ups
Mamelodi Sundowns starting XI: Williams, Mudau, Kekana, Cupido, Lunga, Mokoena, Allende, Zwane, Ribeiro, Rayners, Sales
Borussia Dortmund starting XI: Kobel; Sule, Anton, Bensebaini; Ryerson; Sabitzer, Gross, Svensson; Brandt, Adeyemi; Guirassy
How to watch Mamelodi Sundowns v Dortmund: TV and online streams
Kick-off on Saturday is at 17:00 BST, with live coverage on DAZN.
DAZN subscribers or Freemium member can tune in as part of their existing membership, while non-subscribers can register for a free account to start watching.
Fans can watch on the go via the DAZN App on smart TVs, phones, tablets, games consoles and streaming devices.
