KLIK SAJA - Borussia Dortmund will make their long-awaited Club World Cup debut against Brazilian giants Fluminense at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday, June 17.
Fluminense enters the tournament as the 2023 Club World Cup runner-up, having suffered a 4–0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City in last year’s final.
For Dortmund, this marks their first-ever appearance in the competition, earned through their high ranking in UEFA's four-year coefficient standings.
Currently sitting sixth in the Brazilian Serie A with 20 points, Fluminense heads into this clash on the back of a 2–0 win over Internacional on June 2—despite generating just 0.34 expected goals from open play in that match.
Nevertheless, Tricolor have found their scoring touch, netting 10 goals in their last four games—a tally that matches what they produced in the nine matches prior.
Their offensive consistency has been impressive, scoring at least two goals in six of their last seven competitive matches, and in each of their last four games, they’ve managed to find the net in the first half.
Head coach Renato Gaúcho will also be pleased with his team's recent defensive form, as Fluminense head into Tuesday’s match with back-to-back clean sheets.
Overall, the Brazilian side is in excellent shape—unbeaten in their last six matches, five of which they’ve won—bouncing back from a rough patch of two draws and three defeats in seven previous games.
On the other side, Borussia Dortmund closed out their Bundesliga campaign in fourth place with 57 points, securing a spot in next season’s Champions League.
Manager Niko Kovač deserves credit for revitalizing the squad since taking over from Nuri Şahin in January, when the team was languishing in 11th place.
Dortmund finished the season in spectacular form, winning their final six matches in a row and going unbeaten in their last seven.
The German club has also been prolific in front of goal, scoring 20 times across their last six matches, and have managed at least two goals in 10 of their last 12 games.
However, their defense remains a concern, having conceded 13 goals in their last eight matches.
Fluminense are likely to be bolstered by veteran defender Thiago Silva, who partnered Juan Freytes in central defense in their previous outing.