Borussia Dortmund will be looking to avoid an upset and book their place in the Club World Cup round of 16 when they face Ulsan Hyundai in their final group stage match on Wednesday at TQL Stadium.
Dortmund currently sit second in the group with four points, following a thrilling 4-3 win over Mamelodi Sundowns on June 21. They hold the second qualifying spot, while Ulsan are at the bottom of the table with no points and have already been eliminated after a 4-2 loss to Fluminense on Saturday.
Dortmund had to fight back in their last outing, falling behind 1-0 to Mamelodi Sundowns early on but turning it around to lead 3-1 by halftime. However, they might be concerned with how the second half played out — they faced 10 shots and managed just three of their own.
Their spot in the next round isn't secure yet. They’re just one point ahead of Sundowns, who still have a chance to qualify depending on their result against group leaders Fluminense — who also have four points.
While manager Niko Kovac will be happy with the three clean sheets his side has kept in their last five games, he’ll also be worried about the 16 goals conceded over their last 10 matches.
That said, Dortmund come into this one in strong form — unbeaten in their last nine games, with seven wins during that stretch. They've also been firing on all cylinders up front, scoring 24 goals in their last eight matches.
Ulsan, on the other hand, have had a tough run. They gave Fluminense a scare by leading 2-1 at halftime in their last game but failed to create any real chances in the second half. Head coach Kim Pan-gon’s side are currently fifth in the K League 1 with 29 points from 19 matches — a disappointing spot for the reigning champions.
This isn’t their first taste of Club World Cup action either. They played in the 2020 edition but lost the fifth-place playoff 3-1 to Al-Duhail.
Ulsan are struggling for form, winless in their last four matches and coming off three straight losses ahead of this clash. Defensively, they’ve been shaky, conceding 11 goals in their last five games while scoring just seven.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Dortmund will once again be without Emre Can and Nico Schlotterbeck due to injury. In their absence, it's likely that Niklas Süle, Waldemar Anton, and Ramy Bensebaini will line up as a back three.
In midfield, Pascal Groß and Felix Nmecha started in deeper roles in the last match and are expected to keep their spots for Wednesday’s game.
All eyes will be on new signing Jobe Bellingham, who’s likely to be given a more attacking role just behind striker Serhou Guirassy, where he can create chances and cause problems for the opposition.
As for Ulsan, they started with Won-Sang Um and Erick Farias up front in their last game against Fluminense. However, with Um forced off due to injury, Matias Lacava could be brought into the starting lineup.
In midfield, Ulsan are expected to go with a trio of Seung-beom Ko, Darijan Bojanic, and Jin-hyun Lee.
At the back, Milosz Trojak, Young-Gwon Kim, and Woo-Young Jung are likely to form the defensive line in front of goalkeeper Hyeon-woo Jo.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:
Kobel; Sule, Anton, Bensebaini; Couto, Nmecha, Gross, Svensson; Bellingham, Brandt; Guirassy
Ulsan Hyundai possible starting lineup:
Jo; Trojak, Kim, Jung; Kang, Ko, Bojanic, Lee, Ludwigson; Lacava, Farias
EXPERT PREDICTION
Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Ulsan Hyundai