The opening match of the 2025 Club World Cup between Fluminense (Brazil) and Borussia Dortmund (Germany) will take place on June 17 at MetLife Stadium in New York, USA. Fluminense vs. Borussia Dortmund: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Fluminense
Winning their first Copa Libertadores title in 2023 earned the Brazilian team an invitation to the Club World Cup. However, they did not qualify for the current edition of South America's most prestigious tournament. In the national championship, Renato Gaúcho's side is in sixth place. Notably, Fluminense participated in the last Club World Cup, losing in the final to Manchester City. The team approaches the upcoming game with a five-match unbeaten streak at the official level (4 wins, 1 draw).
The team's most valuable player is forward John Arias, who ranks among the top assist providers in the current Serie A season.
- The club has won 5 of their last 7 matches in the Copa Libertadores (2 losses).
- Fluminense has conceded at least one goal in 5 of their last 6 matches in South America's top tournament.
- Fluminense has scored in 16 of their last 18 Copa Libertadores matches.
Predicted lineup for Fluminense (4-3-3)
Fabio – Juan Pablo Freitas, Rene, Samuel Xavier, Thiago Silva – Martinelli, Nonato, Thiago Santos – Everaldo, Kevin Serna, John Arias.
Borussia Dortmund
The Germans received an invitation to the Club World Cup based on their UEFA ranking, marking Dortmund's debut in the tournament. The previous Champions League finalist reached the quarter-finals in this season's most prestigious European club competition. In the Bundesliga, Borussia spent a significant amount of time in the middle of the table, but a strong run of 7 wins in their last 8 matches allowed Niko Kovac's team to finish in fourth place.
Forward Serhou Guirassy shared the title of top scorer in the last Champions League campaign. His 13 goals set a record for African players in the tournament. One of the club's first new signings was Jobe Bellingham.
- Dortmund has not lost in 6 of their last 7 Champions League matches (4 wins, 2 draws).
- At least three goals have been scored in 8 of Borussia's last 10 Champions League games.
- In 7 of their last 9 matches in this tournament, the team has conceded at least one goal.
Predicted lineup for Borussia Dortmund (4-5-1)
Gregor Kobel – Daniel Svensson, Ramy Bensebaini, Niklas Süle, Waldemar Anton – Julian Ryerson, Karim Adeyemi, Felix Nmecha, Pascal Groß, Julian Brandt – Serhou Guirassy.
Referee
Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)
Matches – 7 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 29;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.1;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 19;
Penalties – 43%.
Fluminense vs. Borussia Dortmund: Match Prediction
The upcoming match promises to be high-scoring. Both teams excel in attack but have defensive vulnerabilities. Only three clubs have scored more than Fluminense in the current Serie A season, but among the top half of the Brazilian league, only Corinthians have conceded more goals. Even in their victorious Copa Libertadores campaign, the Brazilians managed to keep a clean sheet in just 3 of 13 matches.
Dortmund was the third-highest scoring team in the 2024/25 Bundesliga, but among the teams in European competition spots, only Freiburg had a worse defensive record. In the last Champions League campaign, the Germans also struggled defensively, conceding in 7 of their last 9 matches. However, their attack was impressive, placing Borussia among the top five scoring teams in the tournament.
My prediction: Total over 2.5 goals
