A large portion of the European football-watching fans will have raised an eyebrow at learning about Mamelodi Sundowns. The South African giants are big in their league, having won the domestic league for the eighth consecutive season, while also reaching the CAF Champions League Final.
They made it to the CWC by being the lowest-ranked team in FIFA’s system to qualify for this tournament. The South Africans made a brilliant start by beating K-League side Ulsaan, and currently top the group also consisting of Fluminense and their next opponent Borussia Dortmund.
Meanwhile, Dortmund opened their account in the CWC with a draw against Brazilian giants Fluminense. The big talking point about the game was the state of the pitch, which probably contributed to a game that did not entertain the fans.
Moreover, Fluminense outplayed Dortmund with more shots and greater control, something that will play in Niko Kovac’s mind heavily. Hence, they are hoping to bounce back with a big win and get their win counter going in this CWC, as they are the favourites to win against Mamelodi Sundowns.
Major Sundown favourite Themba Zwane made his long-awaited return to action against Ulsaan and he will probably start this one and reclaim the captain’s armband from incumbent Ronwen Williams.
Centre-back Keanu Cupido also made the best of the opportunities presented to him as he will continue in the backline for the Sundowns. Lebo Mothiba is also pushing for a start, having been benched for the last two games, as it remains to be seen whether he is afforded a place in the starting lineup.
Zwane will occupy his customary midfield place alongside Teboho Mokoena and Marcelo Allende. Lucas Costa will play on the right side of the attacking three, with Arthur Sales on the left and Iqraam Rayners leading the line for the Sundowns.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3) – Williams’ Mudau, Cupido, Kekana, Lunga; Zwane, Mokoena, Allende; Costa, Rayners, Sales
There are no fresh issues with Kovac’s side after the opening CWC game against Fluminense. However, key stars Emre Can and Nico Schlotterbeck are absent for the foreseeable future alongside Salih Ozcan. Whether the manager will make changes to his starting lineup in light of the drab draw to Fluminense remains to be seen.
There will be calls for new signing Jobe Bellingham to get a start, although the player has yet to adapt completely, meaning his time will come at a later period. At the moment, Kovac may not look to make too many alterations, as the manager might name an unchanged lineup for the clash with the Sundowns.
This means a back three of Anton, Niklas Sule and Ramy Bensebaini will keep their spots, with Marcel Sabitzer and Pascal Gross taking care of central midfield duties. Serhou Guirassy will continue to lead the line with Karim Adeyemi and Julian Brandt operating behind him in the attacking midfield roles.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1) – Kobel; Sule, Anton, Bensebaini; Ryerson, Sabitzer, Gross, Svensson; Adeyemi, Brandt; Guirassy
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Club fans always want to see their newest signing immediately on the pitch, but in the case of Dortmund supporters they had to wait for Jobe Bellingham’s first minutes, which he did get against Fluminense. However, there will be calls for him to start and see how he impacts the team.
Kovac would still side with caution over starting Bellingham just yet, as he will certainly bring on the English young star at some stage in the game. All eyes will be on Dortmund’s newest recruit, who will in turn, hope to make a mark with a goal or assist in the time he gets to play against the Sundowns.
Mamelodi Sundowns do have a bit of momentum on their side after their win in the opening game. However, the prospect of playing one of the top European teams in Dortmund will be seen as a daunting task for the South African giants, as there’s only one clear winner in this clash.
Kovac will rue his team’s performance against Fluminese, and now he will urge the players to get a strong win in the bag. The Germans are the clear favourites to win this one, as this game could also see them return to scoring big goals.
