KLIK SAJA - Borussia Dortmund and Monterrey are set for a fiery last-16 clash in the FIFA Club World Cup this Tuesday, taking place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The stakes are high: the winner will earn a blockbuster quarter-final date with either Juventus or Real Madrid.
The German powerhouse topped Group F to book their meeting with the Mexican giants, who finished second in Group E behind Champions League runners-up Inter Milan.
Carrying the momentum from the Bundesliga season—where they ended with five straight wins—Dortmund remain unbeaten in this year’s Club World Cup.
As 2023–24 Champions League finalists, Die Schwarzgelben were widely expected to control Group F, and while they did top the group, their seven points from a possible nine don’t fully reflect the battles they faced.
Niko Kovac’s side opened with a frustrating goalless draw against Fluminense, edged out Mamelodi Sundowns in a wild seven-goal thriller, and sealed a narrow 1-0 win over Ulsan HD.
That final group-stage victory came courtesy of left-back Daniel Svensson, who capitalized on Jobe Bellingham’s first assist in a Dortmund shirt—securing top spot and wrapping up the group campaign efficiently.
While Dortmund’s group stage performances weren’t exactly dominant, they enter the knockout round on a 10-match unbeaten streak across all competitions.
Their last defeat came in a 4-0 Champions League loss to Barcelona.
On the other side, Monterrey—veterans of past Club World Cups—also advanced without suffering defeat, finishing behind Inter Milan in Group E.
La Pandilla opened with a hard-fought draw against the Italian side and played out a goalless stalemate with River Plate.
Going into the final matchday, they trailed the Argentine club by two points and needed help to progress.
Fortunately for Monterrey, Inter downed River Plate 2-0, while Domenec Torrent’s men demolished Urawa Red Diamonds 4-0, exploding with four goals in just nine minutes of brilliance.
Between the 30th and 39th minutes, Nelson Deossa, Germán Berterame, and former Porto attacker Jesús Corona found the net, before Berterame bagged his second deep into stoppage time.
Snapping a three-game winless streak in all competitions, the five-time Liga MX champions now gear up for their first-ever competitive meeting with a German side.