Group F of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup remains finely poised, with three of the four teams still in contention for a place in the last 16. Borussia Dortmund, firm favourites to progress, will look to secure qualification when they take on bottom-placed Ulsan HD in their final group stage match.
Dortmund picked up their first win of the tournament in dramatic fashion, edging Mamelodi Sundowns 4-3 after nearly surrendering a 4-1 lead. Niko Kovač’s side have been in prolific form, winning seven of their last eight matches (D1) and scoring three or more goals in each of those victories. They currently sit second in the group on four points and will qualify for the knockout stage if they avoid defeat. However, even a win might not be enough to top the group if Fluminense defeat Sundowns by an identical margin.
Ulsan, on the other hand, are already eliminated following back-to-back losses to Sundowns (1-0) and Fluminense (4-2). The South Korean side have now lost all six of their appearances in the Club World Cup, three of those after taking the lead. Their focus will now be on salvaging pride and avoiding a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions – something they have not endured since 2018.
This will be the first-ever meeting between Dortmund and Ulsan. It also marks just the second instance of a German club facing an Asian side at the Club World Cup. The previous encounter came in 2013, when Bayern Munich defeated Guangzhou Evergrande 3-0 in the semi-finals.
Key stats
- Ten of Dortmund’s last 12 matches have seen at least four goals scored.
- Dortmund have opened the scoring inside the first 20 minutes in four of their last six games.
- Ulsan have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six matches.
- Remarkably, Ulsan have not received a first-half yellow card in their last five outings.
Players to watch
Jobe Bellingham made an immediate impact on his full debut for Dortmund, scoring against Sundowns and continuing a personal streak of six consecutive wins when he finds the net. Ulsan’s main creative force could be Lee Jin-hyun, who broke a year-long scoring drought with a goal and an assist in the defeat to Fluminense.
Dortmund have a fully fit squad heading into the tie, while Ulsan’s Seo Myung-guan is the only potential absentee after picking up an injury earlier in the tournament.
With Dortmund in explosive scoring form and Ulsan struggling defensively, this fixture looks likely to deliver goals. Over 2.5 goals appears to be a solid prediction, especially given both teams’ recent patterns. For Dortmund, it’s all about ensuring qualification; for Ulsan, it’s about restoring dignity.
