🔊 Which of the Group F favorites will come out on top? Bookmakers lean towards Borussia Dortmund, who could either surprise or disappoint at the Club World Cup. Fluminense, on the other hand, inspires even less confidence, although they shouldn't face major hurdles reaching the playoffs. Thus, the upcoming match is important for determining group standings but is unlikely to be decisive. We'll explore various scenarios to offer an insightful prediction. Note that the match will take place at MetLife Stadium in New York.

Head-to-Head

📊 The opponents have not faced each other before.

Fluminense Team Overview

🟢 Fluminense are competing in the Copa Sudamericana this season, South America's second most prestigious club tournament. The group stage recently wrapped up, with the Brazilian side topping their group while conceding just two goals in six matches. They are also performing well in their domestic league. The "Tricolors from Rio" have won their last two fixtures, climbing to sixth place in the standings. They trail the league leaders by just four points.

🔝 The standout star for Fluminense is Jhon Arias, a Colombian international who featured in 15 World Cup qualifying matches, though he registered only two assists. The right winger has also struggled to find the back of the net in Serie A, scoring just once in 11 appearances, but he has contributed four assists.

Borussia Dortmund Team Overview

🟡 Borussia Dortmund kicked off the season under the helm of Nuri Sahin, a former player of theirs. However, the team faltered under his leadership. Niko Kovac took over with the team mid-table in the Bundesliga and steered them into the Champions League, finishing in the top four. Under his guidance, the team returned to a vertical style of play they had previously sought to abandon. The Croatian tactician switched to a formation with three central defenders, and things started to click. The "Bumblebees" reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, where they fell to Barcelona. Despite winning at home, they were edged out on aggregate. Following this, the "Black and Yellows" strung together five consecutive Bundesliga victories.

🔝 A key player in Borussia Dortmund's attack is Serhou Guirassy. He has significantly improved under Kovac, becoming the joint top scorer in the Champions League with 13 goals alongside Raphinha. The Malian striker netted a hat-trick against the Catalans at Signal Iduna Park. Following that performance, he scored in five consecutive Bundesliga matches, climbing to second place on the league's scoring chart with 21 goals. Including his Champions League goals, this season has statistically been Guirassy's most successful.

Latest news

Fluminense

📝 Fluminense reached out to Neymar with an offer to play for the team in the Club World Cup. This was confirmed by club president Mario Bittencourt, who spoke about the short-term loan: “Neymar was polite and respectful... He said he was pleased and honored, and that it would be a dream for him to play in the Club World Cup. However, according to his career plan, he intends to use this month to regain his physical fitness.”

❌ In the upcoming match, Germán Cano, Otávio, Agustín Canobbio, and Facundo Bernal will be sidelined due to injuries.

Borussia Dortmund

🎙 Borussia Dortmund's sporting director, Sebastian Kehl, shared the team's plans for the Club World Cup: "First, we need to get through the group stage, which is a challenge in itself. We have a few unknown opponents, but of course, we are confident we can advance past the group stage. After that, we'll have to wait and see what happens."

📝 Borussia Dortmund have rejected Chelsea's third offer for Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and have included the Englishman in their Club World Cup squad. Reports suggest that Arsenal might join the race for the 20-year-old.

⭐️ Jobe Bellingham dreams of playing alongside his brother at Real Madrid. For now, he is following in his famous sibling's footsteps, having moved to Borussia Dortmund from Sunderland. The midfielder is set to make his debut for his new club at the Club World Cup.

❌ In the upcoming match, Emre Can and Salih Özcan will be sidelined due to injuries. The defense is further weakened by the absence of Nico Schlotterbeck.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The main referee for the match is Ilgiz Tantashev from Uzbekistan. This season, he has officiated 10 matches across various tournaments, averaging 3.1 yellow cards per game. Notably, he refereed the friendly between Russia and Brunei, issuing just one caution.

This season, Fluminense receive more yellow cards on average (2.3 compared to 2). Borussia Dortmund's matches see an average of 3.8 cautions, while the Brazilian side's games feature even more (5.1). In this scenario, betting on total yellow cards over 3.5 seems reasonable.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

Borussia Dortmund have been extremely prolific recently, though they haven't always kept a clean sheet. In their last 10 matches, there have been at least three goals scored in each. It's highly likely that this scoring streak will continue, making a bet on total goals over 2.5 worth considering.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Both teams average 5.7 corners per game this season. Borussia Dortmund are favored in the upcoming match, including in terms of corner kicks. It's likely they will lead at some point, making a bet on Fluminense total corners over 3.5 a viable option.

Bookmakers are leaning towards the Europeans in this matchup. Borussia Dortmund finished the Bundesliga in strong form, but time has passed since then, leaving uncertainty about the current state of the "Bumblebees." On the other hand, Fluminense are unbeaten in six consecutive matches, so it's unlikely they will lose by a large margin. Given this scenario, a potential scoreline of 1-2 seems reasonable.

This season, Fluminense have been defensively solid, conceding just 0.8 goals per game on average, and they remain in form without the break in match practice that Borussia Dortmund have experienced. Nico Kovac's side have issues with their positional play, which could be exposed at the Club World Cup. Therefore, we suggest betting on Fluminense to win with a +1.5 handicap.