🔊 Which team will claim the last quarterfinal spot in the Club World Cup? Borussia Dortmund have the upper hand in advancing. However, they struggle against teams that play with a low block. In the upcoming match, they'll need to dominate possession and come up with creative solutions, which is not their forte. Thus, Monterrey have a solid chance of success, and it wouldn't be a major upset. We will explore various options to make a well-founded prediction. The match will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Head-to-Head

📊 The opponents have not faced each other before.

Borussia Dortmund Team Overview

🟡 Borussia Dortmund, under Niko Kovac, excel in counter-attacks. This tactic helped them snatch points from Bayern and defeat Bayer Leverkusen at the tail end of the Bundesliga season. The team went on a winning streak, clinching a spot in the Champions League, which was quite an achievement considering their start under Nuri Sahin.

⚫ At the Club World Cup, Borussia were fortunate with their group stage opponents. They were considered clear favorites in each match. However, in the opening round, they faced stern resistance from Fluminense (0-0) and were closer to a loss than a win. The subsequent matches saw the "Black and Yellows" dominate. Yet, in the closing stages against Mamelodi Sundowns, they let their guard down, reflected in the final scoreline (3-4). Dortmund had total control over Ulsan but secured victory with just a single goal (1-0). This was enough to top Group F and advance to the playoffs.

⭐️ Ahead of the Club World Cup, Borussia Dortmund completed the transfer of Jobe Bellingham. He rose with Sunderland to the English Premier League and was named the best young player in the Championship. The Englishman integrated well into the squad, providing an assist against Ulsan and scoring his debut goal for the "Bees" in the match against Mamelodi Sundowns.

CF Monterrey Team Overview

🔵 Monterrey didn't have the best performance in their national league, finishing the regular season in seventh place, which landed them in the play-in stage. They managed to qualify for the playoffs but couldn't advance beyond the first round. Following that, they had a competitive break lasting over a month. It's worth noting that Monterrey boasts a strong squad, with some players having experience in La Liga. Notably, Sergio Ramos, Oliver Torres, Lucas Ocampos, and Jesus Corona have all played for Sevilla at different times.

⚪ Monterrey arrived at the FIFA Club World Cup in excellent form. They weren't the favorites in their group but surprisingly went unbeaten. They drew with Inter (1-1) and River Plate (0-0). To advance to the playoffs, they needed to defeat Urawa in the final match, which they did convincingly, even securing a solid goal difference (4-0). As a result, they finished second in Group E.

🔝 The key player in their attack is German Berterame, one of Monterrey's top scorers. This season, the forward has netted 20 goals in 38 matches, his highest tally ever. Although he didn't register any goals in the first two matches of the Club World Cup, he scored a brace against Urawa and earned a match rating of 9.1, making him the standout player of the game.

Latest news

Borussia Dortmund

🎙️ Borussia Dortmund's head coach Niko Kovac discussed the team's progression to the knockout stage of the Club World Cup: “Our aim was to get through the group stage and reach the Round of 16. We've achieved that. Finishing first is a great accomplishment, and we're thrilled about it... Both we and Fluminense deserved to advance... Of course, we're already considering potential opponents for the next round. We've been evaluating them for a while. It's not like we're unprepared. Now that we've secured top spot, we play only on July 1st, so we have ample time to prepare for our opponent.”

📝 Ahead of the match against Ulsan, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens fell ill unexpectedly and was left out of the squad. In fact, the club has made significant progress in negotiations with Chelsea. The player has already undergone a medical and is expected to sign a seven-year contract with the London club.

❌ Borussia Dortmund's injury list still includes Emre Can, Salih Özcan, and Nico Schlotterbeck. It's likely that Gittens will not play for the club again.

CF Monterrey

🎙️ Monterrey captain Sergio Ramos highlights a significant step for the team: “The entire squad has put in an immense amount of work, which has been evident in our recent matches. We are over the moon to have reached the Round of 16. We take pride in being part of this new project, and it's a bonus to be able to give our all in the Club World Cup.”

🔗 Goal has unveiled their symbolic team of the Club World Cup group stage, featuring one player from Monterrey — Sergio Ramos. Despite his age (39), he made a strong impression, scoring a goal against Inter.

❌ It's worth noting that Carlos Salcedo is missing the current tournament due to an ACL injury. Meanwhile, Jorge Rodriguez returns to the lineup after serving a suspension for two yellow cards in the first two rounds.

🟨 Yellow Card Prediction

🟨 Yellow Card Prediction

Both teams in the Club World Cup average two yellow cards per match. Monterrey stands out with their encounter against River Plate, where they picked up five cautions. Borussia Dortmund consistently receive two yellow cards per game, with their opponents matching that number. Therefore, a bet on total yellow cards over 3.5 seems reasonable.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

Monterrey have found the net in 16 of their last 17 matches, with the only exception being their game against River Plate in the current tournament, where they struggled to create chances. However, they are likely to have opportunities against Borussia Dortmund, who have conceded in two clean sheets during this tournament. Thus, it's highly probable that Monterrey will score.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Both teams approach this match with a trend towards fewer corners. Borussia Dortmund have not exceeded six corners in 7 of their last 8 matches, averaging just 4.3 corners in the current tournament. Monterrey averages one less. This suggests a low corner count for the match, making a bet on total corners under 10.5 appear justified. This bet has been successful in 7 of Borussia Dortmund's last 8 matches.

It seems that most European teams haven't been playing at full throttle during the group stage, and Borussia Dortmund are no exception. We can expect them to up their game, which might be too much for Monterrey to handle. However, the Mexican side could find the net, and given that the "Black and Yellows" haven't won by more than one goal in this tournament so far, a potential scoreline of 2-1 is on the cards.

Monterrey have already exceeded expectations in this tournament, defying the odds by not losing to Inter and even surpassing River Plate to reach the playoffs. On the other hand, Nico Kovac's squad have shown improvement throughout the group stage, looking solid in the third round despite scoring only once against Ulsan. This trend suggests that a Borussia Dortmund victory is likely in the upcoming match.